Truant

After Alien Ant Farm's deadly bus crash in 2001 in Europe, it was difficult to tell if the band would record again. Lead singer Dryden Mitchell broke his neck, a notoriously difficult injury from which to recover. But the California-based Alien Ant Farm teamed up with producers Robert and Dean DeLeo of the Stone Temple Pilots for truANT, an album that grabs listeners by the collar with "1,000 Days" and doesn't let go until the closing track, "Hope." The first single, "These Days," is so relentlessly addictive and hopelessly upbeat ("These days are great/There's work to do/Would you like to work with me?/I'd love to work you") that anyone who hears it will give in to its soaring vocals and staccato guitars. "Sarah Wynn" is an incredibly honest, touching plea for a girl to stop using drugs ("What the hell were you thinking of?/I can't help you now, Sarah/Why the hell were you shooting up?/Now you're coming down, Sarah"). The song is almost painful to listen to. "Tia Lupe" doesn't fit in with the anthemic rock that fills truANT, but it is nonetheless a snappy, Latin-inspired love song. These days music fans will be hard-pressed to find an album so satisfying. ~ Christina Fuoco