The Flairs

The Flairs are a really hard band to dislike. On their second full-length album, the Vancouver foursome churn out 13 fun punk-lite tunes that would fit well into the CD players at any Hot Topic outlet. It doesn't hurt that they boast a secret weapon in their standout lead guitarist Gillian Hanna, who displays her chops with some truly ripping guitar solos. The big obstacle keeping The Flairs from being completely bitchin' is lead singer Dawn Mandarino. Her voice is decidedly cutesy and genteel and it doesn't match her band's slightly edgier instrumentals. Her attempts at tough-broad lines — like "We're out of control and ready to roll" and "You'll always be my enemy" — make you want to smile and tickle her under the chin for making the effort, but her whiny, tiny voice make the entire exercise fairly unconvincing. When you cover a Skid Row tune, it's best not to sound like a pissy eighth-grader.