The Faults

Former V-Roy Mic Harrison's new group abandons the twang of old for a sound that swings from meaty power pop to relatively straight-ahead hard rock. Harrison is a strong vocalist, with pipes reminiscent of Elvis Costello's, and his group succeeds most on melodic yet guitar-heavy tracks like "Dishonest Jenny," "Let the Angel Lie," and "Lazy Eyes." "Whispering Goodbye," with its vintage country and rock & roll bounce, is the one clear nod to the V-Roys -- and an ear-pleasing one at that. Even the redundant bluster of the harder rock tracks ("Big Show," for example) don't lack a certain appeal. The album closer, "Poison Land," is the one substantial misstep, coming off like the kind of clichéd, pseudo-Stones balladry that several hair bands had hits with in the late '80s. The production on the album (aided by Superdrag's Don Coffey, Jr.) is excellent, reminding one of the guitar-crunch heavy, massive drum and bass sound on producer Brendan O'Brien's albums.