The Candy Machine: Tune International

There are some bands you think you should love, but after the disc stops spinning, you just can't muster many kind thoughts. The Candy Machine, thanks to its association with some of indie-rock's most solid labels (including Skene! and Dischord), is one such band. There are shades of '80s post-punk bands like Gang of Four and Joy Division, plus some of the oozing swirl of Girls Against Boys, but The Candy Machine can't build anything convincingly emotional on those foundations. Plus, the lyrics, which are placed in the forefront thanks to crisp production, are cryptic to the point of being exclusionary to anyone who isn't an immediate friend of the band. It's clear that these guys are trying pretty hard, and that's half the problem right there: If they loosened up and had fun for maybe five minutes, the album would leave you with a lingering feeling beyond, "I wonder how this album sounds"