ACBs only earn a ‘C-‘ for latest album

The breezy sounds that come from The ACBs isn’t stereotypical of a band from the Midwest. Listeners won’t find anything resembling twang on its album Stona Rosa. Unfortunately, they won’t find anything original, either. The ACBs

Stona Rosa

Rocks Like: Tigercity, The Republic Tigers, Coconut Records

Unsigned

Grade: C-

The breezy sounds that come from The ACBs isn’t stereotypical of a band from the Midwest. Listeners won’t find anything resembling twang on its album Stona Rosa. Unfortunately, they won’t find anything original, either.

The ACBs is native to Kansas City, Mo., and formed in 2006. The band released its self-titled album in 2007. But when the band traveled to California on a tour, several members dropped out.

Now with a new drummer and guitarist, The ACBs has released its latest effort, Stona Rosa. Unfortunately, it’s not a very cohesive album. It jumps about from the poppy opener and charming “Italian Girls” to the oddly motivational “Be Professional.” It then shifts gears to sing about sneaking around and lying in bed with women while trying to play video games in the song aptly named “Street Fighter II.”

Stona Rosa does this funny thing where it sounds all the same but yet doesn’t sound like a unified album. Instead, it plays like a mix-tape filled with sunny songs all performed by alt-rock male singers who sound vaguely alike — as alt-rock male singers tend to do. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with that. The album is pleasant enough. It just lacks anything memorable.

This album could be feasibly played in the background of some backyard get-together or perhaps in a brightly lit clothing store with lots of smiling teens. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a perfectly normal day. But it will likely fade from the mind as the album blends together like summer memories: They’re fun while they last, but in the end, they don’t have any depth.