POP MUSIC REVIEW : THE ROMANS AT CLUB LINGERIE

In light of the Romans’ latest “The Last Days at the Ranch” album, their Thursday night performance at Club Lingerie was a bit of a disappointment. On record, the local quartet’s folk-country-rock stylings benefit from the appropriate dusty, wind-swept textures and some better-than-average songs, notably the sardonic “In My Home Town” and the apocalyptic title track.

Live, even with Green on Red pianist-accordionist Chris Cacavas repeating his guest star’s role on the record, all subtleties in the Romans’ sound were lost in a swirling blur of shapeless clutter. More focus on, not to mention conviction in, Michael Uhlenkott’s lead vocals would work wonders as well.

Still, the Romans are a developing outfit. With the addition of mandolinist-guitarist Robert Lloyd, they’ve evolved from what’s generously referred to as a surf-thrash band only within the last year or so. Turn it down and work it out, guys.

As for the second-billed Flaming Lips, a young power trio from Oklahoma City, their sound is located somewhere between the sun-baked psychedelicism of the Meat Puppets and the barbed-wire grunge of those Anglo-bizarros the Pink Fairies. Let’s just say that Flaming Lips don’t yet get close to transcending their sources. Fans of this particular genre of brain damage will like ‘em, though.