Rock Tracks

THE VERVE PIPEHero(3:34)
PRODUCER: Michael Beinhorn
WRITER: Brian Vander Ark
PUBLISHERS: LMNO Pop Music/EMI April Music, ASCAP
RCA 65777 (CD promo)
"Hero," the first single from the Verve Pipe's new self-titled album, due July 27, shows the band returning to fine form after a two-year absence from the charts. The song is a bouncy, midtempo number that takes a self-deprecating look at the dubious effects of stardom and hero worship. Lead singer/songwriter Brian Vander Ark craftily exposes the fa‡ade of celebrity in the irresistible hook "I'm just a jerk, but a hero's what I wanna be." Already having been a favorite at radio-with 1997's "The Freshmen" hitting No. 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart-the Verve Pipe should have no problem finding a hearty place on the airwaves with this winning track.

Lucinda WilliamsJoy(4:01)
Producers: the twangtrust, Lucinda Williams
Writer: L. Williams
Publisher: not listed
Mercury 10222 (CD promo)
Raw, gutsy, beautiful country/blues guitars introduce this track, slinking above a groovy, slowpoke tambourine and bassline, which kicks in to inch this track forward at a thoroughly Southern pace. Later in the song, the guitars are allowed to shine again, dueling between verses whose lyrics regrettably don't measure up. "You took my joy/I want it back" is the dominant sentiment expressed-and although Williams' voice is pleasingly gruff and expressive, the ad-lib-style words sound strained within the melodic structure. Next to such perfectly matched guitar work, the vocals ultimately distract from the song's radiance, especially when Williams sings along with the lead guitar. Too bad there's no instrumental-only B-side.

VIRGOS MERLOTThe Cycle(3:26)
ProducerS: Jason Elgin, Brett Hestla, Virgos Merlot
Writer: V. Merlot
PublisherS: EMI Blackwood Music/Virgos Merlot Music, BMI
Atlantic 8916 (CD promo)
It's hard to sink your teeth into this track right away-so much is going on all at once that the melody isn't immediately discernable. When a strand of music is finally grasped, it quickly takes an unexpected tonal turn and leaves the listener splashing in a morass of heavy guitar thrumming, thrashing bass, and droning, sawing feedback. The lyrics ("I wait for no one/No one comes/The cycle goes on") and the vocals are appealing, but again, the background instrumentals are ultimately distracting rather than helpful. For experimentalism and a fine use of a bevy of influences (industrial, goth, plain old rock), this track gets an A. But when it comes to straight listenability, this one might be a tough sell at mainstream radio.