In Brief

More pure pop from Austin, Texas. Not the Britney Spears variety, but rich, melodic rock with roots planted in the lineage of the Beatles and the Beach Boys. This time, Fastball injects the fire of its live show into the mix, melding anxiety with melody on the opening track, “This Is Not My Life.” The trio resorts to brass, strings and Brian Setzer’s guitar, and even finds a taste of James Bond on “Wind Me Up” for an album that is fast and flirtatious.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.