Friday, July 18, 2008

SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN"Pershing"Polyvinyl

EARLIER THIS MONTH, the Black Cat hosted Japanese art-metal band Boris, a group that plays loudly enough to wake people a time zone away. However, when the venue hosts Missouri band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, no one should be afraid of walking away with shattered eardrums.

The music made by the latter Boris band is every bit as warm and fuzzy as the name implies. However, it is nowhere near as eccentric. Despite the funny name, there's nothing gimmicky about the group's agreeable sound.

Simply put, the band specializes in pleasant, likable power pop with an ample helping of background vocals and melodies that are sometimes bitter but always sweet. Boris's second album, "Pershing," is an enjoyable exercise in rock that is easy to listen to, if not the most memorable album you'll hear this year.

A few standout tracks buoy "Pershing" into more than a pleasant-but-forgettable experience. "Glue Girls" starts the record off with a welcome burst of energy, while the more subdued "Modern Mystery" succeeds based on some pretty twinkling guitars and nice vocal harmonies. The highlight comes with "You Could Write a Book," a mid-tempo rock song with a melancholy melody to match its lyrics.

The album is mostly consistent in its pop rock style, and even a few duds (like the cloying "Dead Right") aren't enough to dampen the effect.

-- Dan Miller

Appearing Saturday at the Black Cat (202-667-7960,http://www.blackcatdc.com). Show starts at 9 p.m.