They've sold 15 million records in their native Indonesia, and now the five members of Slank-a rough translation of "come as you are"-invade America with their first English-language album, Anthem for the Broken Hearted. Far from a reference to the lovelorn, the title refers to the inhabitants of a homeland riddled with strife and corruption.
But the band's decidedly Western pop-rock-punk sound, punctuated by translated lyrics, is anything but a downer. Akhadi Wira ("Kaka") Satriaji's chameleon-like, accent-free voice takes each of these 10 songs in refreshing directions. But the best has to be "I Miss U But I Hate U," a catchy ready-for-radio tune packed with crisp hooks and laid-back summertime guitars. Slank, which recorded Anthem for the Broken Hearted in California, will likely earn comparisons to everyone from The Rolling Stones and The Cult to Sublime and Buckcherry. Too bad it all lasts for only 31 minutes.
