"If you're trying to create anything sincere, you'll go bananas"- Scott Stevens, guitarist, lead singer, The Exies.

The latest next big thing has arrived in the form of The Exies, and the above referenced quote sums up the band's philosophy on their new album, Inertia, pretty well. They're derivative, and maybe a little silly, but one thing separates them from other bands - they know it. The album is solid, inoffensive fun that hearkens back to those halcyon days of heavy guitar riffs, mopey lyrics, flannel, coffee shops, and really bad goatees that made up the scene known as grunge. Even a cursory listen to Inertia makes one fact brutally apparent: no one's told The Exies that the 90's are over.

But it's a good thing. On the very first track, "My Goddess," The Exies remind us just how much fun quasi- depressing music can be. "I was knee deep, in a sick love/ I was cross- eyed, under your drug." It's like listening to Stone Temple Pilots: The Lost Tapes. Indeed, a heavy STP influence pervades the entire record. For God's sakes, there's a song called "Calm and Collapsed." Anyone remember STP's "Dead and Bloated?" This is heaven sent stuff for anyone who misses the sound of the early to mid-90s. On "Without," Stevens belts out, "I need a second dose of childhood." This record could be a welcome second dose for anyone who grew up in the heyday of grunge.

Despite all of this, The Exies second album is a refreshingly bombastic shot in the arm for the music scene. Tracks like "Creeper Kamikaze," "Lo-Fi," and "Inertia"are all riff laden, intensely radio friendly tunes that ensure people will be singing along, whether they like it or not. For all their apparent self-deprecation and devil-may-care attitude, the band has made a record that's truly enjoyable, if not necessarily thought provoking. To borrow: I know, it's only rock n' roll, but I like it.

Tom Donnelly