Sleater-Kinney

Sleater-Kinney isn't for everyone. Based on a plethora of articles in the mainstream press, including a 2001 piece in Time that proclaimed the group America's best rock band, you'd think this Portland-based trio had won over the hearts of every man and woman. In reality, the band's music can be downright off-putting. On past recordings, its signature sound -- Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein's dueling guitars and caterwauling vocals, backed up by the expert drumming of Janet Weiss -- often veered into homogenous territory, as if the band were evolving from its riot grrrl roots with no clear idea where to go next. If the trio were to live up to its billing, it would have to do something different; on its sixth record, One Beat, it has.

Previously, Sleater-Kinney's stridency wore thin over a full record. Now, however, the members' talents combine more organically, creating an emotional intensity that's accessible and unalienating -- particularly in the lyrics.

Several tunes on One Beat respond to September 11 and its aftermath without sounding sappy, trite or foolishly angry. On the dissent anthem "Combat Rock," Brownstein spits out lyrics like Where is the questioning; where is the protest song?/Since when is skepticism un-American? and Show you love your country/Go out and spend some cash.

On this and other tracks, Brownstein assumes a larger vocal role than on past efforts. Brilliant balance between the two singers has always been one of Sleater-Kinney's selling points, but Tucker's powerful-yet-shrill wail often grew irritating. Tucker still gets her turn, but the other members' backing vocals blend with her bellow. On "Step Aside," the most accessible example of this revamped interplay, Tucker roars over a horn section and a danceable beat while charming woo-hoo accents temper her acidic vocal melody.

With One Beat, Sleater-Kinney combines the pop sensibilities of 2000's All Hands on the Bad One with the political-mindedness of the group's earlier work. The result is not only its best album but also the one most likely to turn mere rock fans into Sleater-Kinney fans, as supporters suggested was possible all along.