PALOMAR /// PALOMAR III: THE REVENGE OF PALOMAR /// SELF RELEASED///

In the rush to discover the latest It band or hyphenated genre, reliable power-pop often gets lost in the shuffle. Lest we forget the pure joy of gentle melodies and guitar-driven love songs, we turn to Brooklyn's Palomar.

Immediately striking in Palomar's sound is the power of their vocals. Every member sings and can sing. However, Singer/bassist Sarah Brockett's clear, sweet voice anchors the songs; she has an impressive range and adds an emotive layer to the music. She also proves an able raconteur. She recalls relationships with lyrics atypical in phrasing yet poetic in delivery.

Revenge of Palomar demonstrates the band's fine pop-sensibility. Track two, "Albacore," with its peppy drum beat and overlapping choral harmonies, would be the band's single in a non-Clear Channel world. The album's first track, "The Planeiac," has quiet propulsion reminiscent of Imperial Teen and deliberately choppy yet lovely phrasing that makes it the perfect soundtrack for rainy day wistfulness. Also worth hitting repeat for: the obtuse socialism of "Work Is A State Function" ("If stars say that they hate when they're talked about, is it such a drag when you make a famous person feel bad") and the matter-of-fact kiss-off of "The Lost Freshman" ("I wish you the best my dear, but just not with me").

The first half of the album is stronger than the second, as the melodies falter a bit from "Talk to Your Captor!" to the sound bite that starts the final song, "Brick and the Skipper". Even with the slight dip in pace, Palomar III proves that music needs not be trendy to be good. There is still space for simple, sweet pop songs.

Megan Gerrity