CAESARS

Side B outweighs Side A on the Caesars' fifth album, which features the band's familiar mix of garage rock guitars and power pop melodies. This is the first Caesars release in years not to feature "Jerk It Out," the Farfisa-fueled song that orchestrated iPod commercials through the mid-2000s, and only a few songs here (including the Swedish single "No Tomorrow") feature contributions from that retro instrument. Instead, the band places an emphasis on guitar hooks, most of which are pleasantly rough around the edges but fail to flaunt much staying power. That's the problem with Strawberry Weed; it's an entirely enjoyable album that lacks a high-caliber "Jerk It Out" equivalent. Had the Caesars existed during the '60s -- a decade that this album so consciously emulates -- Strawberry Weed would've been overshadowed by the band's influences, from the Sonics to the 13th Floor Elevators. The group's appeal, then, owes a good deal to the 21st century, since few contemporary bands flaunt the attitude of the '60s (if not necessarily the decade's hooks) as the Caesars. And while nothing on Strawberry Weed can rival "Jerk It Out," the album is still one of the Caesars' best in recent memory, as there are enough affable pop songs to override the filler that clogged Paper Tigers. Situated halfway through the set list, the charming title track kicks off a string of tracks peppered with handclaps, background harmonies, and guitar tremolo. The album ends on a high note (perhaps literally -- the last song, "New Years Day," dissolves into a psychedelic acid rock freak-out that takes a page from the band's druggy forebears), and although Strawberry Weed doesn't lodge its melodies into the listener's brain, it still makes a good case for repeated listens. Andrew Leahey.

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