Chicago's Lovehammers were inching toward fame with much-praised sold-out shows in their home town, opening slots for prestigious acts, soundtrack appearances and praise from rockers like Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx. Then frontman Marty Casey landed a spot on Rock Star: INXS and things really took off.

The result: A bells-and-whistles major label album (albeit one that resuscitates a few songs from their debut) and a rechristening as Marty Casey and Lovehammers.

The bigger production might not be doing the band any favours -- the standout track is Straight As an Arrow, the sole number produced by Chicago indie rock legend and one-time Nirvana engineer Steve Albini, a man famed for his fondness for unvarnished studio performances.

A few unnecessary layers of studio gloss aside, Casey is a strong vocalist, if not a particularly distinctive one.

The performance is solid, thanks to a robust rhythm section in brothers Dino and Bobby Kourelis and a capable axeman in Billy Sawilchik.

The lyrics laud personal persistence and a positive outlook, which may strike some listeners' fancy more than artificial bad boy posturing commonplace in hard rock.

A decent if unremarkable effort.

Track Listing:

1. Casualty
2. Hold On
3. Trees
4. Rain on the Brain
5. Tunnel
6. Eyes Can't See
7. Riddle
8. Clinic
9. Call of Distress
10. Straight as an Arrow
11. Clouds