Fretblanket's first full-length,
Junkfuel, is typical post-grunge mainstream rock that's influenced by Nirvana, but not nearly as original or raw. In fact, with its bland formula of loud, intricate guitar chords mixed with simplistic, pounding drums and heavy cymbals,
Fretblanket sounds an awful lot like Bush. Even Will Copley's deep, almost hoarse vocals bear a strong similarity to Bush's
Gavin Rossdale. Most of the songs on
Junkfuel sound alike, including the album's two bonus tracks. Following the quintessential verse/chorus/verse model, the songs are basically the same tempo and have trite lyrics about disillusionment, disappointment and failed relationships. Three of the songs, "Twisted," "I'm Going to Buy a Hang Glider" and "You're Welcome," are almost interchangeable. Despite these flaws, the album is not terrible. The songs, though prosaic, are actually pretty listenable in a Bush sort of way. ~ Tracy Frey