I hate to sound like my mother, but maybe the Lovetones need to choose better friends. The Australian quartet owed Bomp! Records big time when the label released their 2002 debut and generated a decent buzz for the group, but espousing themselves to Bomp!'s de facto popular kid the Brian Jonestown Massacre wasn't necessary in repaying the favor. The Lovetones, a band that's shared studios and tour buses with the BJM, now apparently shares their cohorts' disappointing ability to tap the Summer of Love's most mediocre aspects. However, Lovetones frontman Matthew Tow's finely honed singer-songwriter sensibilities differ him from BJM head Anton Newcombe. Whereas Newcombe tries to commandeer faux-Stones or faux-MC5 tunes far more fitting for a synergetic group, Tow takes aim at more singular inspirations. David Bowie, John Lennon, Lou Reed, and their more modern soundalikes permeate this album, though Tow's limited vocal presence keeps expectations in check.
To their credit, the Lovetones make a marked effort to steer away from obvious touchstones on Axiom, a change from the heavy-handed homages on 2005's Meditations. Axiom begs the question though of whether or not the band's chops pack enough punch to stand without the crutch of instantly recognizable and likable classic rock accouterments. Stripped down, melody-driven tracks like "Wintertime in Hollywood", "Say You Will", and "Alone" dabble in the margins of classic and indie rock, taking a little Beatles there, a little Matthew Sweet or R.E.M. there, and topping the whole thing off with the nasally drawl of Britpop. Originality aside though, these numbers lack the memorability of Axiom's more heavily stylized songs. "Pieces of Me"'s space-age chord changes and showtune grandeur nods to Ziggy Stardust, and the band's obviously not trying to hide "Please Don't Break My Heart Tonight," an 8-minute centerpiece of Pink Floyd-style conscience-bending.
Despite these exceptions, Axiom will most likely leave your heartstrings taut and your mind not blown. The band hardly gets worked up over one mid-tempo pop song after another, so why should listeners? While critics rail against the BJM for their self-mythologizing and self-important songwriting, the Lovetones could stand to curb the modesty and risk making mistakes. Sure, visions of reaching rock heaven alongside their favorite icons would be foolish, but these guys shouldn't stay caged in Axiom's sobering reality.
