Drill Team: Hope And Dream Explosio

Of every 10 albums released in America, at least, say, four are by blustery modern-rock bands with loud guitars. Most are terrible, but there's something strangely refreshing about Hope And Dream Explosion, the brisk, appealing full-length debut by the L.A. rock band Drill Team. That appeal might have something to do with the fact that singer Michael Long isn't bellowing and bleating like the frontmen of a thousand Live and Alice In Chains clones; it could just be Drill Team's application of the right pop hooks at the right time. (There's just a touch of glam to most of these 12 songs, which doesn't hurt.) "Hold You Down" is a radio-ready—if slightly overproduced—single, while "Peppermint" sounds like an angst-ridden, energy-swollen smash. Hope And Dream Explosion isn't earthshattering: The fuzzed-out title track is a drag, and a few lyrics, like "sorrow is my best friend" and "I'll kiss your soul," are a bit too hokey for comfort. But this is a fine, promising debut from a group that deserves to rise above the glut created by its inferior contemporaries.