**1/2 The Figgs

COULDN'T GET HIGH . . .

(Absolute A Go Go)

Releasing their fourth album on as many labels proves these pedigreed New York rockers have perseverance, and Couldn't Get High . . . 's 12 songs show the quartet are still offering high-quality tunes. In the past, the Figgs have participated in Undertones and Graham Parker tributes, so it's only natural to hear an element of throwback to their sound. At the same time, the band possess the same timeless rock-and-roll hooks and sensibilities that made heroes out of those influences.

Now that they've toiled more than a decade in obscurity, you can hear more than a little frustration rising to the surface on guitarist/vocalist Mike Gent's "A Fuse About To Blow," "The Noose Was Tight," and the bristling "Now!" Gent leaves more playful but no less energetic weekend themes to drummer Peter Hayes ("The Bar") and guitarist/vocalist Guy Lyons, who delivers an impressive R&B/skiffle romp, "If That's What You Want." Bassist/vocalist Pete Donnelly contributes the CD's most poignant, complex number, the Graham Parker-esque "Like To Know."

-- Mark Woodlief