On their second full-length album, Bikini Kill take some surprisingly gentle turns, supplementing their fiery, bash-'em-in-the-face punk with sweetly seductive pop. Yet unlike the softer, more amateurish sounds of other riot-grrrl bands such as Bratmobile, these edgy, melodic anthems never lapse into whining.

The emotion is raw and convincing when frontwoman Kathleen Hanna screams, "I wouldn't be...