Flaming Sideburns

Finland's soul rock'n'roll garage action swingers, the Flaming Sideburns, are back at it again with their second full-length album, Hallelujah Rock 'N' Rollah. This time out, they've gone with a deluxe, pro-sounding production and a more restrained writing style, which lands them somewhere between current-era Hellacopters and the Hives. The heart of this record lies in the barnburners "Loose My Soul," "Blow The Roof" and "World Domination," which totally delivers the goods, courtesy of some sweet James Williamson, Raw Power-esque guitar licks. It's on the mellow "Flowers" and "Stripped Down," however, that they highlight a more ballad-y side, reminiscent of the '70s Stones, which generally works but will leave adrenaline junkies going cold turkey. It should also be noted that the singer has a Scandinavian accent so strong that it makes Happy Tom, (Turbonegro) sound like he was born and raised in Alabama, and is most obvious when he repeatedly utters "mahtar-fahkor." A slightly faulted but fun album from a band that wears their influences on their sleeves.