Like fellow countrymen
the Hives and
Soundtrack of Our Lives, Swedish power trio
Elope love '60s garage and psychedelic rock, but
3WD, the first of two releases in 2006 -- the latter accentuates their more pastoral leanings -- is far too elegant to be a
Hives knockoff and far too raucous to harbor comparisons to
SOL.
Elope do hook-laden hard rock like they were born in a pub, but they know how to twist a memorable melody into the song's core and still maintain the boot-stomping energy than birthed it.
3WD is by no means a landmark album -- it doesn't take the genre to new heights like
Dungen's Ta Det Lugnt -- but it's solid, confident, and raunchy in all the right places. While the blistering title cut may open the garage door just wide enough to toss a cigarette butt out,
McCartney-inspired pop musings like "Misbehaving in the Summernight,"
Replacements-esque heartland rockers like "Not Even Close," and the
Secret Machines-style instrumental closer "Out from the Blue Two" show a depth of field that bodes well for future recordings. ~ James Christopher Monger