Three`s a charm for Carquinez Straits on Humiliation Jacket. But then again, so charming were records #1 and #2 by this Sacramento, California quartet. Their humble, country-tinged indie-rock is very interesting and likable, however illusive and hard to pin down. But that`s the best part; it`s a quirky, unpredictable trip when you travel down Carquinez Straits. It`s with good reason they`ve been compared to bands like Camper Van Beethoven, Meat Puppets, Pavement, The Feelies, The Shramms, Thin White Rope, Ass Ponys and Uncle Tupelo. And yes, you can hear these elements from one song to the next if you look for them. But in the end you`ll like them for their own style, which offers offbeat folksy lyrics and Jed Brewer`s plaintive, sun-baked (or just plain baked) vocal delivery. From the delicate choogle of the pedal-steel rich "Paco + Rich" to the desert-rock (ala Green On Red) of "The Time We Left H-Bomb In Woodland" - which ends the disc with a Brian Jonestown Massacre-style sonic behemoth - and everything in between, Humiliation Jacket is really a fine coat of many colors. -- Robinson, Miles Of Music (Lather Records)
