The modern music machine continues to roll, with three bands that made their mark on the early-'90s sound of pop punk back with new albums. And since "modern" has become vogue, these bands can be considered mainstream.
- Urge Overkill's new effort, "Exit the Dragon," retains the band's retro pop/punk style. Fans will be happy with the slacking vocals, lazy-toned guitars and spunky rhythms.Latin influences ("Somebody Else's Body"), power chords and whispered harmonies ("This Is No Place") and a bunch of friction chord songs are mixed with the toy piano highlights of "Monopoly" and a music box intro to "Digital Black Epilogue."
- Oasis follows up its smash debut "Definitely Maybe" with the English modern pop of "(What's the Story) Morning Glory." The band doesn't disappoint. In fact, "Morning Glory" is better than "Maybe" in many ways.
Instead of starting each tune with a feedback intro, the band grinds out the chords. Liam Gal-lagher has has found a vocal comfort range and, with the help of brother Noel on guitars, the band mixes the British Invasion sound of the 1960s with the '90s grind.
Pop-happy "Hello" begins the album, while the splashing "Cham-pagne Supernova" ends it. Each song in between is tight, well-arranged and clean. The band has found an original approach by refining its Beatlesque sound with raging dynamics.
- Candlebox returns with a long overdue followup to its self-titled debut. Though the first album raged, "Lucy" slips and slides.
The Seattle band has been on tour with the Flaming Lips, Metallica and Mother Tongue. Maybe because of that, this album dips into the power chords of metal more than the friction chords of modern rock.
Screaming choruses on "Drowned" are mixed in with the punky staccato of "Best Friend" and the lame dynamics of "Lucy," which unbalances the album.
Still, headbangers will find comfort in knowing that the power-rock of the '80s still can be heard in a "new" band.
RATINGS: four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.