Since teen-pop is nothing if not formulaic, we've come up with our own formula for rating it. Here's how it applies to Niagara Falls pretty boys Wave.

They get one star for writing their own material (Dave Thomson and Paul Gigliotti get credit on two-thirds of these sugary-sweet pop-rockers). They get another star for playing some of it (Thomson strums a decent guitar). More important, they get a third star for having a spot of originality.

Yes, a lot of Nothing As it Seems consists of the usual syrupy harmonies and romantic gunk you've heard time and again. But now and then -- notably on the jangly single California, the piano-poppy Think it Over and the music-geek romance Until the Record Breaks, the boys stretch the teen-pop envelope beyond the usual glam-slam techno and shallow jailbait lust. Catch Wave opening for O-Town next week. Oh, and if you've been keeping score, theirs adds up to a respectable ...

Track Listing 1. California
2. Daydream
3. Until The Record Breaks
4. Sleepless
5. Read My Mind
6. Think It Over
7. Don't Leave
8. It's A Drag
9. I'd Give Anything
10. Touch
11. With The Stars
12. Clever