Lita Ford: Living Like a Runaway
Lita Ford
Living Like a Runaway
(Steamhammer)
Good deep drums roll through “Branded,” the opener of Lita Ford’s new album, Living Like A Runaway, as an obvious nod to the infamous all-girl teenager outfit in which she played alongside Joan Jett. For me, things really start with “The Mask” (at least musically) with its slightly vo-coded vocals and unique drumming. Then there is the title track with its open, positive sounding guitar riff, a nice sweet vocal from Ford, good sing-able chorus and fitting guitar lead. This is a solid open, honest rock single, as is the duet “Luv 2 Hate You.”
“Relentless” is swagger-rock funk, again another solid commercial tune with a good semi-orchestrated lead in its middle.“Mother,” an acoustic ballad, has Lita’s heart in the right place but her lyric (never her strong point to begin with) is slightly cringe-worthy.
I like the drive of “Devil In My Head” and Ford’s vocals here are cool (again though the lyric is a little rock cliché) and Lita hits back lyrically (with good mechanical-sounding bass and slapping drums) with the last tune, “A Song To Slit Your Wrists By,” written by Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx. On the bonus disk there are two extras, one an Elton John-blessed cover of “The Bitch Is Back” and a really good rocker, “Bad Neighborhood.”
Co-written and produced by Gary Hoey, Living Like A Runaway is basically a return to form for Lita Ford post her divorce and some upheavals in her life, all of which she seems to deal with here.