Luna's fourth record, Pup Tent, is filled with the kind of city- influenced, Velvetrock that leaves you feeling just a little inspired. Dean Wareham is cold as usual, dropping biting pieces of wisdom like "Don't waste your time learning Klingon" and "Promises don't grow on trees."

After 1994's less- than- impressive Penthouse, I wasn't exactly expecting a record of greatness, but surprisingly, Pup Tent is Luna's best release since they debuted with Lunapark five years ago.

The songs here are of considerably higher caliber than we're used to from Wareham. On the beautiful, swirling musical bliss of "Beautiful View," the guitars bleed melody like you haven't heard since you were forced to listen to Mom's Neil Diamond tapes in the car. "Bobby Peru" is a relaxed and twangy country song whose tense lyrics ("I told lies to your family concerning your whereabouts/ They feel so sorry for me") give it a strangely urbane edge, while "City Kitty" is a grim depiction of a fancy dinner party.

Wareham's forte still lies with his lyrical genius and Pup Tent proves that he's just as good a musician as he is a poet. And that's a fact.

-Ryan Schreiber