5th Avenue South

The third album by Spanish garage rock revivalists Tokyo Sex Destruction moves away from the outright Stooges/Standells mimicry of their first two efforts. Tempos, as a rule, are a bit slower, and the political slant of their debut has been softened into the general good-vibes plea of the lengthy, hippie-ish jam "L.U.V. Is the Feeling." (Of course, two songs later is a gleeful organ-powered snot-punk burner called "Fuck U," so they haven't suddenly turned into Up with People or anything.) The '60s touches are still evident throughout, like the sitar that decorates the unexpectedly pretty acoustic reverie "Good Morning," but the overall feel of 5th Avenue South is closer to the hyper-stylized feel of contemporary bands like the (International) Noise Conspiracy or the Hives. While it's promising that Tokyo Sex Destruction are more interested in evolving and adapting their sound than simply grinding out variations on a long since established theme, the spotty 5th Avenue South is studded with a few meandering misfires like the addled, woozy "Tonite" and the aforementioned "L.U.V. Is the Feeling," making it more of an promising new direction than a fully successful one. ~ Stewart Mason