Search - Velvet Crush :: Stereo Blues

Many a veteran rock band has bolstered its creative juices by revisiting their roots for inspiration, and Rhode Island alt-power-pop icons Velvet Crush take a decidedly back-to-the-future turn on this, their sixth album. But are they attempting to recapture the vigorous, jangled charm of their portentous Matthew Sweet-produced '91 debut, or simply mine a little rock-of-the-90's nostalgia? While there's no denying the urgent wallop of "Rusted Star," the slinky charm of "Here It Comes," or the slick constructions and infectious hooks of "Do What You Want" and "Fall Awake," the overwrought results often seem closer to Bon Jovi-by-way-of - STP than the innocent charm of original band inspirations like Big Star. "The Connection" bristles with Velvet's simmering, neo-power-ballad urgency while "Want You Know" charged with the energetic, garage rock redux snottiness of Jet and the Hives. But as a whole the album seems to reflect a band that's reached back a bit too far for inspiration--or is it not far enough? --Jerry McCulley