** Trans Am

FUTUREWORLD

(Thrill Jockey)

The instrumental trio Trans Am spent their first three albums demonstrating the plausibility of one band's playing both Led Zeppelin riff rock and Kraftwerkian synth-pop. With that thesis established, the DC-based group don't seem to know what to do on the new Futureworld. So they add some saxophone, trumpet, and heavily processed vocals to their now standard mix of hard-driving bass lines, pounding drums, and power chords on the one hand and analog synth bleeps and drum machines on the other. None of these ingredients has much impact, apart from bringing some new texture to the songs.

In the past, moreover, Trans Am have been happy to alternate between electronic tracks and rock tunes in a manner that suggested there wasn't much difference between the two. This time they're more intent on fusing the rock and electronic elements, which makes for a less interesting mix. In fact, with the novelty gone, you begin to notice that there isn't a whole lot holding the songs together, so that what once seemed like a clever device begins to sound predictable and played-out.

-- Ben Auburn