Okay, boys, just whose idea was this? I mean, really, who's going to benefit from an indie tribute to the Go-Go's? It's unlikely that the prom queens of early 80's pop drivel will be recast as alternative rock pioneers, and I doubt Unsealed will hit many Go-Go's fans' radar screens. But assuming that rendering a Go-Go's song digestible nearly two decades after the fact (yes, you are getting old) provides an effective litmus test for some kind of talent, the bands paying tribute definitely have a stake here.

As acid tests go, this one's a bitch. Go-Go's songs aren't easily beaten down and the inability to step outside the shadow of their originals afflicts many of the covers here, especially "the hits." The Chainsaw Kittens infuse a little of Iggy & Bowie's "Nightclubbing" into "We Got the Beat" to no avail; the Frogs fail similarly with the phrase "Whatever" on "Vacation." Truly tries to play it straight with "Our Lips are Sealed," but still can't get it done. Allon Beausoleil does find some kitschy success with his medley featuring the aforementioned tunes interpreted on sitar, but it's shallow. Straying too far from the course doesn't seem to help much, either. Season to Risk's electronic handling of "This Town" sounds nearly as silly as Monkey Paw's rusty "Lust to Love."

The most notable common trait of these bands' successes in their endeavors is their ability to glean and magnify these songs' most basic pop-rock essence. Bo Bud Greene's "This Old Feeling" serves as primary example, by imagining how the Go-Go's contemporaries, the Replacements, might have covered it. The Pinehurst Kids' "How Much More" works in much the same manner, as does Sugarsmack's steel-guitar-and-harmonica take on "Turn to You."

The point is, when you take away the Go-Go's songs, you have a few good bands here. Or maybe the point is that when you take away the hairspray and pastel-colored tank tops, you get a few good songs. Either way, there's less than a handful of compelling tracks on Unsealed and although a few young bands have acquitted themselves quite well, there just isn't enough here to warrant purchase.

-Neil Lieberman