Big Head Todd And The Monsters - Riviera (2002)

It's often been said that the studio recordings of the horribly named Colorado roots-rock trio Big Head Todd and the Monsters fail to accurately capture the fluent stylistic shifts the band makes effortlessly in concert. That may be true, but it's hard to nitpick when the trade-off is the woodsy, well-crafted and smooth Americana showcased on their self-produced Riviera. Frontman Todd Park Mohr's honeyed voice falls somewhere between yearning and world weary, and when he gets harmonic assists, notably on standout tracks like the driving, poppy, soon-to-be-chestnut "Wishing Well," the results are quietly thrilling. The slow-cooking "Gary Indiana Blues" delivers just what you'd expect from a song with that title, while the melody within the pleading, propulsive album opener, "Julianna," is every bit as pretty as its protagonist, even if she's about to walk out the door on our man. Riviera isn't likely to bust open all kinds of new doors for the combo, but for their dedicated following--and anyone seeking so-honest-you-can-taste-it adult contemporary rock with shades of jazz and blues--you can't go wrong. --Kim Hughes