Search - Three 4 Tens :: Change Is on Its Way

It's hard to figure out why some retro projects work and some don't. Count the Three 4 Tens among those bands that bring fire to ye olde garage-rock in the 21st century. The faux-Asian flourishes of '60s psychedelia and the sass and stomp of bluesy rock both play roles on Change Is on Its Way, but one of album's most interesting features is the vocal quality of the group's singing, which sounds revealingly contemporary even as it apes older styles. It's not just because of changes in recording technology that the vocals sound the way they do; Americans (including this Philadelphia-based group) don't speak or sing like they did in the '60s. The Three 4 Tens aren't time-capsule purists, anyway. Other influences such as '70s power-pop are apparent on Change. Rock & roll, as knowing as it is, is here to stay. --Fred Cisterna