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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

WYE OAK

IF CHILDREN

(MERGE) ***

Wye Oak's girl-boy, guitar-drums lineup may scream indie rock, but the Maryland duo shows plenty of dad-rock influences, from the Simon & Garfunkel wistfulness of "Regret" to the Pink Floyd narcolepsy of "Archaic Smile" and the "Muswell Hillbillies"-era Kinks feel of "A Lawn to Mow."

But Jenn Wasner (guitar and vocals) and Andy Stack (drums and vocals) are slaves to neither their elder or contemporary influences. They've got that nagging, gray-October-day melody thing down pat, and the combination of Wasner's more ethereal vocals with Stack's more direct voice keeps things from floating too far to left field or right.

"If Children" is a cut above the standard indie mope-fest.

Download this: "Orchard Fair"

Curtis Ross

MONTGOMERY GENTRY: BACK WHEN I KNEW IT ALL (COLUMBIA/

NASHVILLE) ***

Critics voiced concerns that the power country duo's last album, "Some People Change," indicated a more introspective path. No worries were necessary. This CD more evenly mixes the melodramatic with the blue-collar bar brawls.

"One In Every Crowd" has the "Hell Yeah" equivalent sing-along. "It Ain't About Easy" and "Long Line Of Losers" take full advantage of Eddie Montgomery's vocal heft. (Too frequently on past discs, he's come across as an afterthought.)

One good indication: "The Big Revival" shows strains of bluegrass and rock gospel that Big & Rich brought back to Nashville's musical spectrum. Could it be an indication that Montgomery Gentry might bend toward more experimental tunes? Hope so. They're that good.

Download this: "I Pick My Parties" (featuring Toby Keith)

Jeff Houck

GAVIN ROSSDALE:

WANDERLUST

(INTERSCOPE) *½

I miss Bush - the British rock band that exploded on the scene in 1994 with "Sixteen Stone," an album of muscular, meaty anthems like "Little Things" and "Comedown."

Everyone knows by now that frontman Gavin Rossdale gave up Bush to make beautiful babies with Gwen Stefani.

He also made a solo album that's oddly compelling - if only because it's so disjointed, much like its name, "Wanderlust."

Rossdale is strangely subdued and bland for much of the album. But there are moments of something that you wish he had experimented with more, especially on "The Trouble I'm In" and "This is Happiness."

Download this: "Another Night In the Hills"

John W. Allman

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