Fastball, 'Little White Lies'

Release date: April 14, 2009
Record label: MRI/RED
Official Web site: http://www.fastballtheband.com/

The buzz: If you were anywhere near a radio in 1998, you know Fastball: their massive hit “The Way” was one of that year’s definitive anthems. Dumped by their major label in 2000, the band has been unfairly relegated to the same musical limbo occupied by other late ‘90s alterna-rockers like Third Eye Blind and Local H—not edgy enough to reclaim their indie roots, not commercially viable enough to have another hit. “Little White Lies” is their first album since 2004’s well-reviewed but largely ignored “Keep Your Wig On.”

The verdict: For anyone who only knows “The Way,” “Little White Lies” should come as a revelation. The airtight vocal harmonies and interlocking guitars of co-frontmen Miles Zuniga and Tony Scalzo recall the best of the British invasion and their many descendants: “Mono to Stereo” is a sugary blast of Kinks-style power-pop; “White Noise” and the New Wave-tinged title track bristle with the piss and vinegar of vintage Elvis Costello; “She’s Got the Rain” recalls “Woodface”-era Crowded House, all punchy harmony vocals and sweetly resolved minor chords. If any ‘90s rock survivors deserve a second chance at stardom, it’s these guys.

Did you know? Talk about prophetic album titles: after the success of “The Way,” the band’s next LP, “The Harsh Light of Day,” was a commercial dud, selling only 85,000 copies.

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