Like the Name 'Gorilla Biscuits' Wasn't Enough Fun

The best way to prepare Walter Schreifels' fans for his new band is to study the list of his band's names, circa 1988 to present. Each one, from Gorilla Biscuits to Quicksand to Rival Schools, has downgraded in its level of menace, leading right up to Schreifels' latest offering, the Walking Concert.

Of course, another way to look at it is that Gorilla Biscuits was blistering, genre-changing hardcore; Quicksand opened for Rage Against the Machine and was the first-ever Warped Tour headliner; and Rival Schools' Island Records release, "United By Fate," left hardcore punk fans wondering why they were loving heavy indie music on a relatively mainstream label.

In other words, the older Schreifels gets, the more he chills out. He's kind of like the cool dad with all the great records, except he started at age 16, so he's barely grazing his 30s.

The Walking Concert's debut release, "Run To Be Born," is a great departure for Schreifels, but also a timely progression. For the most part, it's a collection of pop songs ready for B-movies and indie clubs. That's not a death sentence in a culture that has embraced artists like the late Elliott Smith for his work on the soundtracks for "the Royal Tenenbaums" and "Good Will Hunting."

Schreifels has the sort of voice that calls to mind great singers without blaspheming their history. At times he'll recall his peers, the Fire Theft/Sunny Day Real Estate genius Jeremy Enigk, Weezer's Rivers Cuomo or Radiohead's Thom Yorke, with a grace that shows influence while sounding fresh and significant.

Schreifels' lyrics are clever in that sort of way that provokes both laughter and groans. Lines like "Evil without the Knievel" and approaching a relationship-remedying discussion by suggesting two lovers get "pancakes and orange juices" are the sort of quirky ways he goes about the art of storytelling.

The music is retro, but cringe-free. Save for two or three standard filler tracks toward the end of the album, "Run To Be Born" is one of the best pop releases this year. Recalling David Bowie, 1980s-era R.E.M. and even the Replacements, "Run To Be Born" is - to be frank - just really good, sort of clean, fun.

Break out the dancing shoes and poodle skirts. Spike the punch.