Turn on Britpop band The Music as you drive

By the turn of the millennium, the once thriving flow of Britpop to the world music stage had become more or less defunct. What with recent lackluster efforts from Stateside heavyweights Oasis and the highly-regrettable dissolution of The Verve, things were looking bleak for a genre that held significant water for the better part of the '90s. Luckily, Britpop currently sees itself experiencing a revival of sorts in the hands of a few sleeper bands like Gomez and The Music, who hit the charts with their self-titled debut in 2002. Riding on the heels of the catchy single "Take the Long Road and Walk It," this group of then-18-year-olds gained a decent following overseas and then brought the first clips of their funky blend to the U.S.

Now two years older, somewhat wiser and fresh off a stock of tour dates with Incubus throughout the East, The Music have picked up some hard-earned exposure and fanfare. Their newest release, entitled "Welcome to the North," arrived in late October, having been widely anticipated in music circles.

On the surface, the most striking aspect of The Music's style is the voice of frontman Rob Harvey. He might be characterized as a nasal mix of Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) and Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros). But hold the comparison right there because as compelling as some of Harvey's tracks can be, he really can't touch the likes of such talented stalwarts of the hallowed '90s rock scene. Lyrically . . . well let's just say he's a little too sentimental for the likes of his band. But he's still young . . . he's got time, folks.

As for the tunes themselves, there is a certain twang that calls to mind some of Melon's more upbeat material, only sent through a filter and mixed with some techy effects. On the whole, the album is very rhythmic, bordering on danceable, a trait which we can attribute to the album's upbeat and generally unbroken percussion tracks. In fact, it isn't hard to imagine drummer Phil Jordan getting somewhat bored by Track 3; many of the beats are nearly identical one another. As a whole, "Welcome to the North" makes some solid driving music. It's rarely obtrusive and keeps your foot tapping throughout.

The title track kicks off the album and, in terms of completeness, is probably one of the more effective compositions in the collection. Clever broken chord interludes play well off the scratchy main guitar progression to produce a generally likable piece of music. "Breakin" is the album's first American single, and for you radio freaks out there, it resembles a beefed up version of some of the latest Modest Mouse material. An entertaining bongo break cuts in at the two-minute mark, joined soon after by a brief scat session from Harvey, forming one of the album's bright spots. A nearly six-minute instrumental segment tacked on after the conclusion of the final track caps off the record in an increasingly frantic but fun and experimental plunge.

All in all, "Welcome to the North" is a pretty decent spin, hitting hot spots here and there in what ultimately sounds like a band trying to discover its own voice. And on that note, may The Music play on . . .