Tank is about unrealized expectations: I kept waiting for this album to rock, and it never did. Almost every song here can be described as "electric folk." After a few listens, Eric Peterson's vocals definitely seem more suited to a lighter style of music. Occasionally he ranges into Why Store/Shaffer Street territory, but mostly he gets lost below the volume of the instrumentation.
The highlight here is "Tired of Trying," where Peterson's work on guitar redeems the song, providing a nice background to the lyrics here:
Once again I'm drawn in
This endless basement bargain
Slowly pulled into your head
I'm just fighting to break free...
"Cover of a Magazine" concerns itself with the quest for fame. "Bad Habit" and "Waistline" show the difficulties of fighting against the things about ourselves we don't necessarily like. "Cool Deth" portrays the beginning of a concert. "Feel" is the lyrical standout, railing against the world we live in, and the depths to which it has sunk:
I stand in awe at the world before my eyes
When there's more concern for rights than a baby's life
Jesse and Al are marching outside the door
While they're stealing from the groups they're 'fighting' for...
In all, Spin Radio is hard to pin down. There is nothing here to strongly dislike -- in fact, fans of 70's music should be pleased with what they hear. For me, though, there is nothing here that stands out, that makes me want to hit "replay" -- something is lacking. Admittedly, this won't be the case for everyone, but Tank never leaves the starting blocks in my judgment.
2 tocks
