*** The Glands

s/t

(Capricorn)

The Glands are an Atlanta guitar-pop foursome with a frontman, Bob Shapiro, who's constantly seeking direction in his lyrics. He seems to be convinced that the grass is always greener in some other time and place, so he bemoans his current situation and whines for a way out. And on this follow-up to the band's 1997 Glands Bar/None debut, Shapiro finds it by mining a promising array of influences, from contemporary indie acts like Pavement and Sparklehorse to classics like the Stones, the Beatles, and the Velvet Underground. In lesser hands this would be a recipe for a deadly combination of self-pity and aimless eclecticism. But Shapiro's genre wandering becomes a style unto itself, and he does have good taste. Meanwhile, his bandmates ensure that the rockers are tight, that the turtle-paced mood pieces are gorgeous, and that catchy choruses abound. And if Shapiro never really sounds as if he'd found a setting, musical or otherwise, that he's comfortable with, at least he seems to be enjoying the search.

-- Kevin John

(The Glands play the Middle East on Tuesday September 19. Call 864-EAST.)