The remarkable ONE BEAT seemed to be the culmination of Sleater-Kinney's transformation from three-minute-song riot grrls to post-punk artisans, as the WA trio delivered gloriously wandering, lop-sided compositions reminiscent of the Fall, adorned by thoughtful, willfully obtuse lyrics. However, THE WOODS proves its predecessor to be merely another step, with Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, and Corin Tucker mixing indie rock, punk, arena rock, folk, and even progressive rock into a potent concoction.

Helmed by revered producer Dave Fridmann, THE WOODS opens with "The Fox," a hard-driving, distorted, and sinisterly fun story about forest creatures. The song is as unpredictable as anything that follows; the early S-K punk of "Wilderness" gives way to the barroom rock of "What's Mine Is Yours," which, in turn, steps aside for the art-pop of "Jumpers" and the fuzzy folk of "Modern Girl." The album culminates in "Let's Call It Love," an 11-minute jam that's equal parts Iggy Pop, Fugazi, and Heart. Once again Sleater-Kinney has upped its own musical ante, making THE WOODS an amazingly captivating album.