by Steve HueyProduced by Guns N' Roses' Gilby Clarke, Shrinking Violet is a harder-edged return to L.A. Guns' roots in sleazy, crunching glam-metal a la Kiss and Mötley Crüe. Ex-Love/Hate singer Jizzy Pearl adds some street grit, as does Clarke's restrained yet muscular production. Although a few tracks are too long and begin to meander after a while, the songwriting is actually quite consistent overall; the end result is a surprisingly focused and effective album by a band that appeared all but spent as a creative force.