Under the Bushes Under the Stars

After firmly establishing themselves as America's most original and interesting band of part-time, over-30 garage rockers, found dipping their toes into something resembling professionalism. Leaving behind the homemade studio craft of their previous work, this album was recorded in a pair of actual recording studios, and the sessions boasted an outside producer (friend and temporary fellow Ohioan ); while no one would mistake the results for the latest project, the set sounded more like a "real" record than anything had attempted up to that time. The new edition of the band attempted to rise to the occasion, and though the performances lack the passion of and ' finest moments, the stronger playing and cleaner production honors the pop sensibilities of 's songwriting. was also reaching for a better controlled style as a songwriter; boats a mere 18 songs (as opposed to the 30 on ), and most sound like full fledged pop tunes, with fewer shards of musical fancy littering the way. While 's tighter reign over the band and new sense of self-control made this album a more solid and consistent album than had made in the past, it's also not as exciting as ; 's songs lack a certain fire here (though " sound just fine), and the band sounds more stifled than enthused by their new grasp of the material. There's plenty to enjoy here, but it also appeared to have caught in a transitional stage; just how much they were changing would be revealed on their next two albums. ~ Mark Deming