Despite their later industrial leanings, the debut album from
Machines of Loving Grace is not a torrent of raging guitars and sampled noise. Pretty Hate Machine-style synths are scattered liberally across the album, but the most part it's surprisingly calm and restrained. Tracks such as "Lipstick 66" -- one of the album's best -- have more in common with the alternative rock of
the Smashing Pumpkins or the Stone Temple Pilots. Sadly this doesn't always work, resulting as it does in a slightly unfocused, average collection of songs. It's not a bad album, but it lacks the individuality of the band's later work. ~ Jim Harper