2 keepers
keeper avg .191
STP messes around with nothing that isn't full-volume rock to start their unimaginatively-named fourth album , as the first three tracks double down on the most caveman aspects of "Core" (1992), eschewing the tuneful magic that was Tiny Music... (1996). On "Down" they try to recapture the power of "Sex Type Thing" with a badass drop-D riff. They are less successful with the same approach on "Heaven & Hot Rods", while "Pruno" resembles "Wicked Garden." Stripped down to minimal riffs and melodies (especially "Down" and "No Way Out"), these songs could indeed be called a back-to-basics as noted at the time, though in retrospect it's tempting to speculate that the move was more of a response to the nu metal then dominating the radio than it was a return to form. Fortunately it's not all mindless "cock-rock." The mellow "Sour Girl"****, the band's only Top 100 single, has a vaguely brit-pop sensibility and an instantly memorable chorus. Despite resembling "Still Remains" (1994) a little too much, "Glide"**** is catchy and well-written, with buoyant melodies and Beatle-esque diversions (and harmonies).
Another problem with the album is a troubling trend toward excessive "borrowing." "I Got You" wouldn't exist without Nirvana Unplugged; the pretty but grandiose ballad "Atlanta" could be by anyone from the era, and by jove if that isn't the melody from "My Favorite Things" (1959/1965) in there. "Sex & Violence" instantly reminds me of "New Rose" (The Damned 1977), and "MC5" is a failed attempt to channel the song's legendary namesake; riffs are dumbed-down with annoying unison lines, then tarted up unnecessarily. Trying to return to the garage can be fun, but like others' attempts (Black Crowes "By Your Side" and Weezer "Make Believe" come to mind) the result is disappointing.
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