POP MUSIC REVIEWS : MISTER MISSES

It just aches to see a band with chops and smarts--both qualities Mr. Mister possesses in spades--refuse to capitalize on its own particular powers and instead steer for pop’s path of least (i.e. commercial) resistance. The quartet of L.A. session cats drew a jam-packed crowd to the Palace on Monday night and obviously pleased the audience. But the band’s insistence on glossing over any intriguingly rough edges proved incredibly frustrating.

Kicking off the show nearly an hour after the scheduled 8:30 p.m. starting time, singer-bassist Richard Page and his three cohorts launched into “Control” (from its newish “Go On . . .” album) with relish, displaying the polished musicianship and FM sweep for which the band has become known.

You have to hand it to these guys: They put on an eminently pleasant, calculatedly dynamic show. But the opportunities within Mr. Mister are far greater than the final product. Page, for example, is content to render LP-perfect vocals on the band’s two hit singles, “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie.” Aren’t these tunes well known enough now that Page and company could open them up a little, try a few new twists? Certainly the quartet could do it, given the members’ skills--especially Page, who has one of those heaven-sent voices all the vocal coaches in the world couldn’t fabricate.

The foursome almost began really cookin’ it on “Something Real” and one of the encores, Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” But unleashing Mr. Mister’s full throttle is risky--defects might show up, after all--so passion was eschewed in favor of effect. And so it goes.