At the Friendship Motor Inn

The Randies are a relatively new band on the Los Angeles scene, and you can hear both their inexperience and their potential on this debut album, which combines snotty attitude, trashy guitars and crunchy-sweet hooks to create a sweet-and-sour blend that makes up in enthusiasm for what it lacks in originality. Imagine Dance Hall Crashers without the skanking backbeat and without quite the same level of vocal sophistication, and you'll have a good idea of what to expect. The band experiments with unpredictable chord changes on the awkward "Dreamdate" and brings the full-tilt punk aggro on the nasty "Put Out," but where the Randies really hit their stride is on snappy confections like "The Way It Goes" and the dismissive kiss-off anthem "Good for You," not to mention a tuneful but vaguely creepy ode to Kevin Bacon. Producers Rob Hoffman and Heather Holley give the Randies a sound that is big and bright without being either slick or heavy. Overall, this debut showcases a band that still needs a little work, but then, that's what debut albums are for. And many bands never do come up with anything as successful as the best tracks on At the Friendship Motor Inn. Recommended.