A Los Angeles Kind of Mood

Hole, Celebrity Skin: I played this constantly in 1998, and I recently rediscovered it after a prolonged absence. The recent arson fires in L.A. made me think of the title track and the album as a whole. Why? The album has a sunshiny, shimmering vibe, along the lines of the Beach Boys and the Go-Go's; fun (and at times almost pretty) melodies and harmonies that make you wish you were in a convertible singing along. But at the same time, with the razor-edged guitars and the lyrics you're reminded that so much of what we see is artifice and that sometimes the most beautiful things in life have a very ugly side to them and a very short shelf life, and are easily destroyed...maybe much like L.A. itself.

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