“Down under we don’t take no prisoners,” chant Lisa and Jessica Origliasso early into their third album as The Veronicas. That’s not bluster but a vital shot of self-empowerment on the Brisbane duo’s first record in seven years, following protracted label disputes. Brandishing the brash influence of electroclash, that same track—“Did You Miss Me? (I’m a Veronica)”—acts as a comeback-timed theme song, even sampling Winona Ryder’s character (the band’s namesake)’s line from the 1988 movie Heathers. It’s not the only instance of hard-earned catharsis here. The chart-topping lead single “You Ruin Me” is not just an affecting piano ballad but a biting hymn to romantic manipulation: “You play me like a symphony/Play me till your fingers bleed.” The following rocker, “More Like Me”, continues the emotional cleansing before “Cold” later devotes a memorable spoken-word passage to the internal yo-yoing that follows the shock of heartbreak. There’s plenty of joy to be found too, as “Line of Fire” sees the duo stop pretending not to be hooked on someone and “Teenage Millionaire” bottles the us-against-the-world rush of new love. Other tracks broaden The Veronicas’ approach to include the folkier lament “Born Bob Dylan” (as in “I wish I was…”) and the punchy 1980s flashback “Cruel”. After this self-titled success, it would be another seven years before another Veronicas album—but for very different reasons. At least this one made a deep enough impact to re-establish the sister act as a lively force in modern pop.