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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P.J. SOLES?
(StudioE)
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The Chicago guitar/drums duo Local H have been thrashing along with energetic abandon since the mid ’90s despite charges that they’re nothing more than a Nirvana sound-alike band. On 2002’s Here Comes the Zoo (Palm), singer/guitarist Scott Lucas moved away from grunge to a more classic rock sound, even incorporating some psychedelic elements; it was a refreshing switch that didn’t bring anything new or compelling with it. Now, on their fifth album, Local H take some steps in the right direction. The disc blasts off with the one-two punch of the chanting/ranting "Where Are They Now?" and the Foo Fighters–style pop-rocker "Everyone Alive." Lucas’s sense of humor emerges on "California Songs," with its "and fuck New York, too" refrain. But the title track is one more example of his penchant for obscure cultural references. It’s "Heavy Metal Bake Sale," yet another Nirvana-style grunge-rocker, that provides the disc’s most accessible hooks.
