Adam's Rib

Adam's Rib's fourth CD, Forever Café, is pleasantly average. There is nothing in particularly wrong with the record, and that may be part of the problem - nothing stands out and demands attention. The Toronto-area band is songwriter and main player Derek Lathrop, bassist Curtis Freeman, Carson Freeman on sax, cellist Alyssa Wright and electric guitarists Rob Zikovic and Peter Grant. They all play well and are arranged in acceptable order, but it is all polish and no shine. Lathrop may bend your ear, but he doesn't turn your head to understand what he's trying to say. Adam's Rib has certainly played around and seems to be the darlings of the indie showcases for Sting and Santana, but that's not enough for these ears.