Latest Smoking Popes not among their best

Smoking Popes are, with good reason, one of Chicago's most beloved musical outfits, and their 2005 reunion was greeted with cries of joy from old fans and recent converts alike. Rumors of a new album began circulating since 2006, when the band began playing new songs live, and now, despite some record label hiccups, the first Popes studio album in more than a decade has arrived. And, somewhat ironically, somewhat true to form, it's a beautiful disappointment.

On the one hand, it's tempting to say the group hasn't grown at all in their extended hiatus, but that's not entirely true. Yes, velvet-voiced singer/songwriter Josh Caterer has retained his endearing blend of youthful enthusiasm and youthful pessimism, setting heartbreakingly sad lyrics to breakneck punk rock backdrops. Yes, the band still approaches those punk rock backdrops like they're ripping blues tracks. But at the same time, whatever the x-factor that made 1997's "Destination: Failure" one of the most lovable albums to ever emerge from the Windy City, it just isn't showing its face here.

"Welcome to Janesville" is as solid an opener as one could ask for, but as early as the second track, the album loses momentum. "If You Don't Care" is the most generically Popes-sounding song the group has ever recorded and is utterly forgettable - not an adjective typically associated with the group. In fact, it's not until nearly halfway through the album that things pick up again. "The Corner" and "Grab Your Heart And Run" are extremely likable tracks, but they just don't come across with the same magic as classics like "Let's Hear It For Love" or "Need You Around." And it's not until the very end of the album that the group shows real growth. "It's Never Too Late (For Love)" and the utter heartbreak of "First Time" are easily among the best songs Caterer has ever written, and it just leaves the listener wondering why, exactly, it took so long to get to those two songs.

Unfortunately, "Stay Down" faces the same problem Weezer's "green" album faced at its release: It honestly is a solid album, with some excellent tracks, but after this long of a wait, it just seems like it could - and should - be so much more.

- Evan Thorne