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By CURTIS ROSS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

Really, I thought I would have grown up by now.

I mean, in most respects, I have. I'm married. I have a job. And a mortgage. And a minivan.

I've got three kids, and let's take a moment to give a big shout-out to the newest addition, 9 days old as you read this, Oscar Henry Thelonious Ross, born June 18. Hi, Oscar!

And when I'm watering the lawn, I'm a pair of madras shorts away from total home-owning-dad clichedom.

But I was sure my musical tastes would, well, refine themselves by now.

I thought by now I'd be listening to jazz, Bob Dylan, stuff like that. Songwriters with wry observations about life. Anybody who records for Nonesuch.

And I do listen to stuff like that. But not nearly as much as I listen to music with big, loud guitars and singers who scream and slur their words to the point of incomprehension.

Well, except the death metal stuff, where the singers growl and slur their words to the point of incomprehension.

I'm sure I'm not the only 47-year-old who likes to crank up Napalm Death or Obituary in the car once in a while. And surely there are other folks who grew up in the '70s who like to remember their high-school years, if they can remember them, by listening to Thin Lizzy or Aerosmith.

And OK, Foghat and Nazareth, too. Why be a snob?

But just the other day I heard "I'm an Adult Now" by The Pursuit of Happiness and one line jumped out like never before:

"I can't take too much loud music," Moe Berg sings. "I mean I like to play it, but I sure don't like the racket."

Of course, what's backing him as he sings those very lines?

Big loud guitars.

I rest my case.

Tribune pop music critic Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or cross@tampatrib.com

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