Unwind

Oleander

This fine follow-up to Oleander's gold-selling 1999 effort, February Son, finds the quartet coming into their own, forging an identity in an often-faceless pop-rock field populated by the likes of Collective Soul and Candlebox. Fronted by the dynamic Thomas Flowers, the group has blossomed from their Nirvana-lite roots into something more original and expansive. Witness the darkly evocative "Are You There?" which moves easily into "Halo," a lilting ballad rife with strings. From the funky and spare "Benign" to the rah-rah rave-up "Jimmy Shaker Day" to the soaring and soulful, Lenny Kravtiz-like "Tightrope," there's nary a loser to be found. Unwind is most interesting on the harder-edged songs such as the raucous but taut "She's Up, She's Down." With stellar production, thoughtful arrangements, and well-crafted songs, Unwind is the kind of album that fans and radio programmers alike can embrace. The Sacramento-bred band may be named after a poisonous flower, but this burgeoning bunch is anything but toxic. --Katherine Turman

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