For whatever reason, large-scale disappointments are usually a lot easier to deal with than minor disappointments, especially when it comes to music. When a good band releases their first big flop, it's always possible to find solace in friends-- to reconcile the disappointment with a "yeah, man, that sucks... but hey, their old records were really awesome." It lets you cast aside the new disaster and reminisce about the old times, and all is well.

Then there are those painful occasions when a band with a ridiculous amount of potential releases an album that, while far from bad, just doesn't quite live up to the greatness they've hinted at in the past. Since the new material is still enjoyable, you find yourself listening to it regularly, but each listen just seems to reveal more minute flaws and missed opportunities that prevent the album from making that fateful leap from good to great.

Such is the case with Treat Me to Some Life, Lenola's full-length follow-up to 1999's excellent My Invisible Name. At times, the album nicely blends Kevin Shields-esque shoegazer guitar with power pop and dissonant keyboard noises. But as a whole, Treat Me to Some Life lacks the cohesiveness and beauty of its predecessor, making it a bit of a disappointment for people like me who've waited patiently for a band with so much potential to release a true masterpiece.

With My Invisible Name, Lenola established a distinctive sound-- lead singer Jay Laughlin's boyish vocals, guitarist Dave Grubb's (not that one) shimmering washes of feedback and pentatonic riffs, and drummer Sean Byrne's loose but often frenzied technique. Tender melodies, and layers of reverb-drenched acoustic, electric, and nylon guitars finished off the package, making My Invisible Name one of the best psychedelic rock records of that year. Lenola managed to incorporate all of those elements into a strikingly even, well-balanced mix. Everything meshed together perfectly, resulting in an intricate wall of sound, with no individual elements consuming more sonic territory than necessary.

Such is not the case with Treat Me to Some Life. The most noticeable difference between the two records is that, through incorporating more diverse sounds, Lenola has sacrificed My Invisible Name's perfect aural balance. Keyboard blips and clicking sounds on "Derelict Organ" leave the song cold and empty, as opposed to the rich, organic depth these guys displayed on their last record, and on this album's better tracks.

And Treat Me to Some Life does have some great tracks. The opener, "First Floor Killer," features the kind of guitar interplay and gorgeous vocal melodies that typify Lenola at their best. The slightly more uptempo "Cast Your Lines," is a fairly straightforward rocker with some ethereal vocal harmonies thrown in, and highly reminiscent of a lot of the material on My Invisible Name.

As a whole, Treat Me to Some Life is a very good album. But, given the ridiculously high expectations I harbored for it, I can't help but be a bit let down that this isn't the psych-rock classic I'm so sure Lenola is capable of recording. But even if this isn't the indisputable classic I was hoping for, it's still a pretty damned fine record. Sure, I may be disappointed, but it's hard to be too upset when you're dealing with a band this talented. Though Treat Me to Some Life does sometimes stumble, one can't help but feel that it's stumbling towards something better.

-Matt LeMay