Within the very first minutes of No Traffic, the Stereo's Jamie Woolford sets the stage by reminding us of the dangers of commercial hype and music industry deception. "The music's a lie when the target's tried," he boldly declares. I don't think any of us have trouble believing him at this point. In fact, it seems pretty obvious. But I've had a hard time deciding whether it's an honest sentiment, or simply the words of a raving hypocrite.

The Stereo sound... well, how can I put it? Let's just say that on the surface, if there were a dictionary definition for the target market of "those who enjoy watered-down, Weezer-esque power pop," the entire entry would consist of "n., the Stereo." I don't generally fall into that category, but regardless, these guys still seem sanitized for my protection. So is Woolford lying through his teeth, or is his radio-friendly power-pop coming from a genuine place?

Call me crazy, but the latter seems to be the case to me. Woolford's voice rings with a sense of authenticity, no matter how indistinguishable it might seem from others in similar groups. The similarity seems to develop from influences and the pure love of the genre, rather than a simple attempt to appeal to the masses. "I grew up with the sound around," he reminisces. "Spent my summers just listening/ With no reason to turn it down." The fact that the two other members of the band left after No Traffic was completed, and that Woolford soldiers on with the bandname emanates a sense of certifiable conviction.

But even with all of this taken into account, No Traffic is still by and large a very average record. There isn't much point to signifying its weak spots, since there really aren't any. Instead, I'll mention that as I'm forced to listen to the record repeatedly, I find myself skipping back to that first track, "Get Set for Sound," for an actual reading on my pulse. It most heavily recalls Weezer's use of simple but effective melody, shifting dynamics, and the Rentals' analog synths. Granted, Weezer are better at the real thing, but the Stereo create a suitable facsimile. "New Tokyo is Calling" sounds decent enough when following the opener, but I find myself yawning and shifting it to the back of my mind before it ends.

I believe in you, Jamie Woolford. I believe, without a shred of sarcasm, that you have conviction and integrity and a genuine love for the music you create. It shows. And yet, in a world with the return of Weezer on Interscope, your same three distorted power-chords simply don't register much of a blip on the radar, especially within independent music. I wish I could recommend your music, but alas, conviction and integrity can still be the product of mediocrity.

-Spencer Owen