Yes, you read that right - the Bangles do still exist, and what's more they're making some of the best music of their career. This may come as a surprise to some, given the LA outfit's reputation as a fluffy, lightweight 80s pop act. But behind such chart-friendly hits as 'Walk Like An Egyptian' and 'Manic Monday', the girls actually started life as a garage band - and this new effort sees them returning to their roots. Taking its title from an Elvis Costello song (which they cover remarkably well), Doll Revolution is a bracing collection of visceral rock songs, raw, exciting and thoroughly entertaining. The only drawback is that the Peterson sisters (Debbi and Vicki), who write most of the songs, now insist on singing some of then too - a clear error of judgement, since the real vocal talent clearly still lies with Susanna Hoffs. This quibble aside, however, Doll Revolution is an unmistakable success, about as good as comeback albums ever get. Who'd have thought it?
