Mark Bacino, The Million Dollar Milkshake.

Bacino presents well produced pop with great arrangements that often sound like low-budget Jellyfish tracks. His lyrics aren't in the same ballpark. They're typical boy-meets-girl exercises that are at times pleasant and sometimes banal. As a whole, this is a nice pop album for those looking for catchy tunes without much substance.

Cheap Trick, Special One.

Cheap Trick has been unable to produce a consistent album of songs since 1985's 'Standing on the Edge.' Most critics would go back to the late 70s, but I'm a sucker for their mid-80s records that I grew up with. Regardless of your favorite Cheap Trick album, 'Special One' follows the trend of their 90s releases by tempting the listener with a couple of great songs and then leading them to eventual disappointment. "Scent of a Woman," the opening track and single that probably received airplay on one or two stations, is a solid Cheap Trick song, reminiscent of good rockers from their early records. From here, the album slides slowly downhill. The title track and "Pop Drone" feature neat hooks that eventually lead nowhere. By the end of the CD, we have Robin Zander posing in the asinine "Low Life in High Heels." The band still has a couple good ones left in 'em, but apparently not enough to fill an album. At least it's fun for a couple of tracks.

The High Dials, A New Devotion.

This is an appealing, if non-distinct collection of pop songs in the same vein as retro bands like the Minders. It's not ground-breaking, but certainly worth a listen.

Pearlfishers, Sky Meadows.

The latest from the Pearlfishers finds the band becoming more focused on the cute imagery of their lyrics than the tunes themselves. 'The Gay Fishmonger' is a perfect example, carefully painting a bizarre and decidedly European picture of everyday characters, but falling flat musically. While their Beatle-esque production style continues to impress, the perfectly recorded acoustic guitars, pianos and assorted backing instruments can't hide the fact that the irresistible melodies of their early albums are missing. This is a pleasant album to chill out to but disappoints when I play close attention to it.

Pernice Brothers, Yours, Mine, Ours.

Joe Pernice is a great songwriter and there are some gems here like the opening track "The Weakest Shade of Blue." Listening to this song, you get the idea that this album will continue in the same amazing groove as their last CD. While some of the songs live up to this promise, unfortunately the melodies just aren't as strong. It's a step back from "The World Won't End," but still a nice pop album head and shoulders above much of the competition in 2003.

Puffy-AmiYumi, Nice.

I've never been a big fan of pop bands featuring Japanese female singers. Let's face it: they're annoying. "Nice" is the exception to the rule due to the omnipresence of ex-Jellyfish singer Andy Sturmer. Handling the production, many of the instruments and much of the songwriting, "Nice" is much more a vehicle for Andy's talents than the lead singers. Even in this context, Andy's talents still shine. Ranging from goofy cartoon theme songs (Teen Titans) to 80s synth-pop send ups that sound like the Buggles (Tokyo Nights,) the album has a distinctly retro feel. Sturmer was an avid 70s pop fan and at times the slick pop here resembles Abba's finer moments. While this may sound nauseating to some, Sturmer's songs are brilliant throughout and his arrangements tastefully combine analog synth sounds with traditional instruments. The result is his best work since the Jellyfish days. I don't even understand what the hell Ami and Yumi are singing about on half of the album, but I still can't resist humming along with Andy's catchy tunes. Well worth a listen if you're a Jellyfish freak or just a fan of good melody.

Sloan, Action Pact.

A lot of Sloan fans complained that 2001's "Pretty Together" was overproduced. I've read reviews in message boards that claim the album contains too many slow numbers, too much reverb and an overly polished sound. I believe it stands as one of their best and that artists shouldn't have to record the same album over and over again to please their fans. Perhaps on their own accord, or as a reaction to their fans' disappointment, Sloan switched gears for their 2003 release and recorded a straight-forward rock record. Fortunately, it doesn't break their stride one bit. This band continues to amaze me with the release of one solid record after another, dating back to 1997's "Navy Blues."

"Action Pact" is a high-energy album that's well recorded and contains another batch of excellent melodies, mostly upbeat rockers. Fans may be disappointed by the absence of new songs from Andrew Scott, who took a break from songwriting. Chris Murphy and Patrick Pentland easily pick up the slack with some of their best numbers. Murphy's signature sound works well on the excellent first single "The Rest of my Life," but he branches out a bit with some slower grooves on two brilliant tracks, "Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore" and "Ready For You." Pentland's tracks sound similar to his up-tempo rockers from previous records, but feature a giddy melodicism that's quite intoxicating ("Hollow Head" and "I Was Wrong.") This album will probably never rank as their best without any of Andrew's songs and two of rhythm guitarist Jay Ferguson's weaker contributions, but it certainly doesn't disappoint. Nearly every track is solid and it certainly rocks a lot harder than its predecessor.

Spymob, Sitting Around Keeping Score.

Spymob crafts quirky pop that reminds me at times of Self. There are some good melodies and harmonies here, even if it's a bit overproduced at times.

Matthew Sweet, Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu.

I'm a huge Matthew Sweet fan, so any new material is greatly appreciated. This record was recorded on a low budget at home in his studio in a week. Apparently Matthew wrote a bunch of songs and recorded them all immediately with Ric Menck on drums and Richard Lloyd back on guitar. With that lineup, you'd think that this CD might be a step back in time to the Girlfriend era. However, it doesn't have nearly as much power as that album or even "Altered Beast." Perhaps because it was recorded quickly, Matthew just didn't have time to fully realize these songs. Overall this record sounds slight. The songs are pleasant enough but they aren't Matthew's best collection of hooks and melodies and they just don't stick with you after listening. It's nice while it's on, but compared to the rest of Sweet's catalog, this is merely a diversion. It sounds just like what it is: a bunch of songs written and recorded quickly at home.

The Thorns, The Thorns.

Matthew Sweet's main project in 2003 was a collaboration with Shawn Mullens and Pete Droge called the Thorns. I was a little skeptical when I heard he was recording a record with two widely unknown Adult Alternative artists. The results, however, are wonderful. The three members harmonize together beautifully and the songs are all well-written and produced. Many comparisons to Crosby, Stills and Nash have been made in the press but the album reminds me more of later 70s adult contemporary artists. It's more polished and certainly more pop than CSN. The opening track "Runaway Feeling" sets the tone for the whole album: great harmony and great melody in an acoustic setting. Several other tracks standout: "I Can't Remember," "Long Sweet Summer Nights," "I Set The World on Fire" and a nice cover of the Jayhawks' "Blue." Matthew Sweet's softer tracks have sometimes been a bit boring, but with the help of Droge and Mullens he really shines here. Hopefully they'll record another album together.

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