Pack Up the Cats

The title of the fourth song on Local H's third album sums up the spirit of the release: "Hit the Skids, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Rock." Ever since its emergence on the hard rock scene four years ago, the band has been lambasted for blatantly mimicking Nirvana. At first Local H resented such criticism, but now they've stopped worrying and learned to simply rock. Pack Up the Cats is the band's finest offering by far, matching the energy and volume of past releases but incorporating stronger melodies and hooks than in the past. The first single, "All the Kids Are Right," starts like a drawling Everclear ballad, then launches into a soaring chorus straight from the Oasis songbook. Other tracks, such as "Cha! Said the Kitty" and "What Can I Tell You," are less original but equally appealing. These cats have finally come of age. --Jon Wiederhorn