Positive Mental Theme

Uneven and -- at 17 songs -- a bit too long, Positive Mental Theme, the debut long-player by Used Alien Mind, has a number of winning moments just the same. Launched by the ill-fitting retro-punk spank of "Kid Mental," brainchild Mike Leporte does a disservice to listeners even if the Ramones-derived charger is aces. You see, UAM's first offering is an exercise in soundscapes, from the Ride-like mid-tempo blur of "The Dirtbombs" to the space-invaded hallucinogenic rock of "Pale White Face" and "Waiting." The electric buzz beneath "Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Inside," the set's two acoustic-steered high points, recalls everyone from Radiohead to Catherine Wheel, and while he may not change the world of rock, Leporte is a talent worth keeping an eye on.