Underneath

Underneath returns East Lansing, Michigan's Verve Pipe to their very origins, rediscovering the simple power pop of "I've Suffered a Head Injury" and "Pop Smear," ridding themselves of all the guitar bombast, arty flourishes, and dark shadows that producer Michael Beinhorn cast over their last album. This time out the band availed themselves of the talents of Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger--an underrated pop genius himself--to man the boards, helping them clean out the cobwebs and return the band to the engaging, almost New Romantics sound of their formative years. As a result the Verve Pipe has turned out a bevy of literate, tightly constructed gems that veer from the clever to the confessional, without ever being sappy. But stylish writing has always been this band's strong suit, as well as their full-bodied rhythm section that adds depth, texture, and an interesting complexity to harder-rocking songs. "Never Let You Down" is anthemic in its appeal, what with its stalwart message and dynamic chorus that are reminiscent of Foreigner at their most sincere, while "Medicate" is an earnest postgrunge solution to an age-old problem, moving into them into the territory that Bush used to occupy. --Jaan Uhelszki