The Austin, Texas-based trio Silver Scooter have been coasting along on their supposedly tried-and-true glossy indie-pop formula for four years, two albums, and an EP until recently. But now, thanks to the teeny, tiny, adorable little babies at Peek-a-Boo Industries, we have The Blue Law, an album which humbly offers 12 more tracks of the same song these guys played on their previous records. As always, the majority of this album's offerings tend to leave little impression. Frontman Scott Garred writes and sings his usual tepid material in that deadpan fashion of his that always comes across apathetic instead of the intended "cute"; meanwhile, bassist John Hunt and drummer Tom Hudson form a competent but ultimately flat rhythm section.

But miraculously, not every track on The Blue Law disappoints. Its radio-ready opener, "Goodbye," works simple melody, subdued vocals, an uptempo beat, and appropriate synth flourishes to its advantage, albeit probably found at a better value on their Goodbye EP. "Albert Hall is also moderately successful, presenting a different simple melody, similarly subdued vocals, a slightly more uptempo beat, and appropriate organ and piano flourishes. Maybe you're seeing a pattern here. I hope you are, because I could rattle through the rest of this record on the same barely-modified reference terms. And by the way, these guys' rate of success drops quickly.

I suppose I could say that The Blue Law is well sequenced, in that each track follows its predecessor so perfectly that you can predict what it's going to sound like before it even begins. Each song increases slightly in tempo within the album's first five tracks. But it can't all be that simple, right? I mean, what would a record like this be without the power ballads? Indeed. Silver Scooter happily comply with RIAA sequencing standards by placing "Dirty Little Bar," the first of two mandatory "emotional" songs, at Track 6. Musically, it's a little like Lenny Kravitz's "Again." You like Lenny, right?

At any rate, I'm pretty disappointed. It does seem like, after a given amount of time, a band would feel some need to grow. Silver Scooter may have become a little tighter with practice over the years, but technical skill doesn't make up for a lack of artistic discovery. In short, I believe Garred said it best when he sang, "I'm not original or even typical." The Blue Law's standout lyric. Sad, isn't it?

-Spencer Owen