Give this girl some credit. It takes balls to turn your back on the modeling industry to pursue a career reviving the joyfully adolescent spirit of bands like the Modern Lovers. Think of the potential landmines - hipster critics hate wannabes and good looks, mainstream critics discount “model-turned” anything, and everybody else just wants to know if the chick with the boyish voice and short hair is pulling some kind of Crying Game gag. Given the potential pitfalls, Self-Taught Learner plays like a handbook in anticipation. Step 1: Throw the hipsters a bone with a rocking cover of Hot Chip’s “Ready for the Floor” and a should-be Yeah Yeah Yeahs cut, “She Said.” Take that, Pitchfork! Step 2: Play throwback rock ‘n’ roll so simple and fun that, um, even a model could do it. Step 3: Get a picture of your no-doubt-about-it backside on the CD cover.  And in heels for good measure (note: to be fair, “boyish” is a bit of a stretch - she works the Kim Gordon/Jonathan Richman middle ground). Taken together, it’s a well-crafted lesson in covering the bases from an artist who, as advertised, proves a quick study. - Robert J. Hilson