Sixteen Stone

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Nirvana should've been quite flattered by Sixteen Stone. The English quartet perfectly mimics the early '90s grunge sound with this '94 release. As for Kurt Cobain comparisons, singer Gavin Rossdale has a captivating voice, but lyrics are not his forte, as the splintered ramblings of "Everything Zen" indicates. (Gotta do better than "There's no sex in your violence.") The players meanwhile produce a perfectly competent approximation of their Northwestern heroes. "Little Things" is a successful rewrite of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" while "Machinehead" crunches like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. In fact, the whole album feels like a throwback to 1992. Sixteen Stone may be derivative, but it's catchy as hell, too. --Rob O'Connor