Tommy Keene: Crashing the Ether (Eleven Thirty)

With 10 albums and over 20 years of performing under his belt, Tommy Keene is something of a power-pop elder statesman. He made one of the best albums the genre has seen in 1986’s Songs from the Film; he recently teamed up with ex-Guided by Voices head Robert Pollard to tour and record an upcoming collaboration as Keene Brothers; and in Crashing the Ether, he has released his first set of new material in nearly four years. Admirably, it is one of his finest. Recorded in his Los Angeles home, a first for Keene, the album sparkles and shines with the best rock and roll of his career. Judging from the blistering guitar workout that concludes the album’s first track, home recording does not mean gentle complacency. Songs express longing and contemplation (“Wishing,” “Driving Down the Road in My Mind”), look back on the past (“Eyes of Youth”), and even wax nostalgic about New York (“Black & White New York”). Things get a bit gooey in the middle, but just before you can say ageism, the propulsive “I’ve Heard That Wind Blow Before” kicks in to smack his detractors right between the eyes. (www.tommykeene.com)

7 Blips out of 10 By Frank Valish