*** Bare Jr.

BOO-TAY

(Immortal/Epic)

Bare Jr. are from Nashville, but they're way more rock-and-roll than country, despite one song here about "tobacco spit." The line-up is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Bobby Bare Jr., who learned about tuneage from his C&W '60s hitmaker dad (who sings back-up on one song). On high-octane workouts like "The Most" and the Gary Glitter-ish clap-along "You Blew Me Off," he affects a Steve Earle drawl but ratchets up the unhinged factor -- and still the guy has to yell to be heard above the onslaught of guitars. All in all, it's a perfect environment for boozy admissions like "I'm in love with you, 'cuz I got nothin' better to do" and songs called "I Hate Myself" (there's also a companion piece called "I Wanna Live"). Like St. Louis's Bottle Rockets, another roots-rocking outfit with one boot in the alternative camp, Bare Jr. sound as if they'd listened to a whole lot of Skynyrd and Georgia Satellites wrapped in a few layers of Social Distortion.

-- Jonathan Perry