Album Reviews

ACUMEN
Diversity
(Holographic)
Songwriter Dimitrious James must've thought he'd hit on the right formula for success with his Bay Area sextet Acumen—combine progressive rock with what radio programmers call triple-A (adult album alternative). Stretch out the songs, fill them with complex instrumental interplay, but keep the melodies simple and the lyrics straightforward, with songs about real people and situations instead of science fiction or treatises on obscure philosophies. He's got a melodic winner with across-the-board appeal, right? Well, not quite. James' heart is in the right place, as AAA could use a little complexity and prog could use a little heart (not to mention pop smarts), but the brilliant Spock's Beard has pretty much cornered the creative market on this and their commercial prospects remain dim. Prog fans are liable to find Diversity too simple and triple-A fans may find the song lengths tedious. These complaints would be moot points if the tunes matched James' ambitions, but they're memorable for only as long as they're playing, without much sticking power after the laser quits reading. James has a nice concept, a skillful band and a strong foil in singer Cyndy Teseniar; now all he needs is a set of truly killer tunes to put Acumen over the top. Michael Toland

For fans of: Sister 7, Spock's Beard, Phish

THE FLYTE REACTION
Sensilla
(Woronzow)
Though long laboring in relative obscurity, Harlow, U.K.'s Flyte Reaction is poised to imprint itself on the consciousness of the psychedelic underground with the excellent Sensilla. Led by songwriter/guitarist Mick Crossley, Flyte Reaction emphasizes the pop side of psych/pop, with arrangements that highlight the sinfully catchy melodies, hummable guitar hooks and Crossley's soulful vocals. "Try Me" and "Some Kind of Love" are terrific pop tunes that would have been hits 30 years ago, "Catching Leaves" and "Let It Go" are lovely ballads and "Diamond Geezer" reaches epic length without getting ponderous. Crossley saves the overtly trippy touches for the explicitly Syd Barrett-like "Toasty" and the effects-laden instrumental "Dark Rain Falling." There's a false ending with the beauteous "You Said," which is followed by two unlisted tracks, a ballad and an epic, that are the equal to anything else on the record. It's unbelievable that an artist this good isn't better known, at least to rock cognoscenti (i.e. snobs). What a superb record. Michael Toland

For fans of: the Stone Roses, Spirit, the Lucky Bishops

HAMELL ON TRIAL
Ed's Not Dead—Hamell Comes Alive
(Such-a-Punch)
One man dervish Hamell on Trial has yet to make a record less than great, but his fans will tell you (accurately) that the man's at his true best onstage, where his excellent songs blend with his trademark banter (an unholy mixture of wit and vulgarity), skilled acoustic guitar picking (amplified by two massive speakers) and an energy level most punk rock bands would envy. Recorded in April 2000, about a month before the devastating road accident that laid him up for 10 months, Ed's Not Dead displays Hamell at his absolute peak, playing most of his best songs from his studio albums with amazing skill and the kind of zeal found only in rock 'n' roll true believers. Blazing takes on "John Lennon" and "Sugarfree" join moving readings of "Open Up the Gates" and "I'm Gonna Watch You Sleep" (featuring tour headliner Ani DiFranco on drums) as well as strong performances of "The Vines" and "Big As Life" for a kind of Hamell primer. Even better, he debuts (on record, anyway) three new tunes, the lovely "Some Hearts," the cranky "I Hate Your Kid" (an ode to bedeviled suitors of single parents) and his latest autobiographical sketch "7 Seas." The only flaws are a perpetually out-of-tune guitar (if you've ever watched Hamell strumming as if to reduce his Gibson to kindling you'd know why) and the exclusion of his signature piece "Blood of the Wolf." Otherwise Ed's Not Dead is the perfect Hamell on Trial recorded experience. Michael Toland

For fans of: Jonathan Richman, Ani DiFranco, Bob Mould

METROSCENE
First Light at Last Orders
(Metroscene)
From Atlanta, GA come mod-rockers Metroscene, whose claim to fame is that Oasis once opened a show for them. Be that as it may, one needs to be careful about exactly whom one lines up besides. The influences and affectations virtually jump off of First Light at Last Orders, from John Phillips' pseudo-English vocal phrasing to the early 80s Cure synth washes and guitar sheens.

What they have going for them are the smart lyrical and melodic hooks of Phillips and guitarist Allen King, the primary songwriters. "Dreamtime ends as daydream starts, playing out the same old part," goes the opening line of "The Modern Decline," and all of First Light at Last Orders is full of such visual prose. The songs are energetic, and while simple, feature arrangements clever enough to stick to the brain.

But hold on there, Trigger, these guys have some serious shortcomings. For starters, for the lead singer in a pop band, Phillips' pleasing voice is limited in range. He only really pushes his pipes on "...Decline," and that's through some sort of squawky effect, which most likely is intended to mask exactly what a struggle those high notes are. And despite bassist B.J. Alden's being credited for "backing vocals," there's almost nothing resembling a vocal harmony on this CD (and a song like "Curtains," with its "ooh la la la la" refrain just begs for it). The drum work of Kevin Redd, for backing such an energetic affair, is sometimes maddeningly perfunctory. It's well over a 90 seconds into the instrumental "Theme from M" that the repetitive main riff is gifted with a drum fill.

Credit Metroscene for a fistful of pop smarts on their debut full-length effort, but the execution needs work. Brian Briscoe

For fans of: Oasis, the Cure, Radiohead

THE MOTHER HIPS
Green Hills of Earth
(Future Farmer Recordings)
Another fine group often lumped in the Americana/alt-country ghetto goes pop. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Perhaps, but The Mother Hips actually pull it off better than most. There are some amazing pop/psychedelic moments on this recording, especially on the first half, and the band does it without resorting to the kind of production that leave others sounding like ELO. It is simply good songwriting, great psych harmonies, superb ideas on instrumentation (save for the sitar intro on "Such a Thing"), and the vocal delivery of singer/guitarist Tim Bluhm that makes this such as refreshing example of American pop music. Songs such as "Pull Us All Together" and "Singing Seems To Ease Me" contain all the essential elements that made great pop/psych/rock of years gone by so vital. You get a glimpse of the Hips' influences without getting knocked over the head by them. Green Hills of Earth, their fifth recording, should not leave fans of "Later Days" or their other previous works disappointed. In fact, it should hopefully get listeners more excited about a band that has made its most interesting record in its ten-year existence and perhaps bring some new fans into the fold. Brad Rice

For fans of: Big Star, the Beach Boys, Wilco

RHYTHM OF BLACK LINES
Set a Summery Table
(Sixgunlover)
Austin trio Rhythm of Black Lines plays a very distinct type of instrumental guitar music. It's not surf, it's not Satriani-style histrionics or Huevos Rancheros-style spaghetti western rock either. It's based more on the steady, repetitive pulse of the rhythm section and the angular, chorused riffs of guitarist Clint Newsom. It's almost like late-70s Wire if they'd been a jazz band. Using skeletal melodies built on arpeggios and unusual chord sequences, Newsom creates tunes that hang from the walls like tapestries, the designs of which will keep you fascinated for hours. Bassist Kiki Solis and drummer Tim O'Neil keep the songs in constant motion, maintaining a peppy energy level without becoming too intense. Set a Summery Table is a hypnotic standout in the world of instrumental rock. Michael Toland

For fans of: John Scofield, Cul De Sac, Andy Summers

SCORCHED EARTH
Fed To Your Head
(Woronzow)
The album packaging and goofball pseudonyms might lead one to believe Scorched Earth is a pisstake on the whole stoner rock thing, but the music will quickly disabuse anyone of that notion. These guys play heavy psychedelic blues rock like nobody's business, with wah-wahs, mutated blues riffs, stop 'n' start rhythms and enough distortion to make you check your speaker for rips. You can almost smell the bongwater and unwashed hair. It's not just a nostalgia trip, however. Any band featuring Bevis Frond mastermind Nick Saloman (AKA Chuck "The Horse" Kowalski) and Alchemysts frontman Paul Simmons (AKA Randy "The Snake" Kyser) will emphasize serious songcraft as much as sounds, and neither artist is particularly interested in gnawing on the bones of the past. Pounding nightmares like "Busted," "Blown Away" and "Electric City" shine as brightly as shimmering wet dreams as "Killing Time" and "Blues For the Universe," and the obligatory epic freakout "Long Black Gown" avoids tedium thanks to incendiary fretwork. Fed To Your Head may be a genre-specific side project, but its participants' innate musicality keeps the self-consciousness in the background in favor of sheer talent and entertainment value. Michael Toland

For fans of: Monster Magnet, Jimi Hendrix, the Bevis Frond

SUNDAY FLOOD
Advisory
(SunSeaSky)
Appleton, Wisconsin's own Sunday Flood carve out a smart anti-rock sleeper with Advisory, their second full-length CD. A trio, they dish out an addictive sheen of anxiety without a guitar solo, harmony vocal, or sing-along chorus to be found. Probably the primary hook at work is singer/guitarist Eric Krueger's longing tenor. Like Helmet's Page Hamilton, Krueger has limited range, but makes very good use of what he's got. Krueger and bassist Mike Allen write stream of emotion lyrics such as, "There'll be nothing left for you to destroy/For everything you build/You damn the soil" from "Broken Predicate." Song after song, lyric after lyric, these angular words and sinewy arrangements combine with Krueger's voice to work their way into the heart and head.

Maybe they won't wait another five years to put out a full-length CD. Brian Briscoe

For fans of: Helmet, early U2, Bob Mould

THE VOLEBEATS
Mosquito Spiral
(Third Gear)
Detroit's long-running Volebeats make a virtue of consistency. Matthew Smith, Jeff Oakes and compadres have been producing sparkling, countrified guitar pop for over a decade, with barely a drop of experimentation or lapse in quality. So while their latest disk Mosquito Spiral isn't really any better than previous platters like The Sky and the Ocean, it's certainly no worse, either. Whether they jangle through originals like "Radio Flyer," "Come Over" or the Beach Boys tribute "I Just Want Someone to Love (For the Summer)" or cover the Walker Brothers' "First Love Never Dies," the achingly sincere quintet maximizes melody for an irony-free trip to a time when AM radio pop was a good thing. There's no innovation here, just pure pleasure. Michael Toland

For fans of: the Byrds, Cosmic Rough Riders, the Old 97's