The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey

During his tenure in the Gruesomes, Gerry Alvarez spent his time making trashy, punky music that was perfect for those frenetic teenage years, but that was a long, long time ago. While they do still play a show from time to time, these days he's making a very different type of music, and his second solo album finds him narrowing his focus even further. Admittedly, there is very little original about Omega Tea Time, yet Alvarez is so thoroughly committed to the world of '60s psychedelic pop that it's hard not to get pulled along with him. There is still a healthy Beatles influence on songs like "Cosmic Weaving," which does a credible job recycling "Tomorrow Never Knows," but the majority of the tracks delve a little deeper into the scene. With plenty of vocal harmonies, fuzzy guitars and sing-along choruses, Omega Tea Time is always likeable, even though we've heard it all before.