POP MUSIC REVIEW : Church Has a Distinctive Mix of Elements

Singer/bassist Steve Kilbey of the Church joked around with the title of his band’s latest album, “Starfish,” Wednesday at the Roxy, first refering to it as “Swordfish,” then “Catfish” and later “Jellyfish.” Though he was just having some fun with all the people at the show from Arista Records whose job it is to sell the record, these alternate tags were actually quite appropriate for this concert in which the band sounded razor sharp, quite nimble--and even sometimes dreamily gelatinous--rather than starry and clean like on the record.

The aggressively muscular approach taken by the Australian quartet Wednesday proved a much more effective vehicle for the literate, flowery imagery of such songs as “North, South, East and West” and “Under the Milky Way” than the often sterile sound of the nonetheless meritorious new album. And the wry Kilbey not only was an effective singer/frontman, but teamed with drummer Richard Ploog, provided a solid bed for the alternately distorted and brittle guitar playing of Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper’s.

Less overtly psychedelic than on vinyl, the Church didn’t seem exactly original (reference points range from the Kinks to old Pink Floyd to Robyn Hitchcock and, on “Bel Air,” even a touch of Bob Dylan), but the particular blend of elements is distinctive. And when the band cranked it up for such older material as the sinewy “Shadow Cabinet” and the crunching “Tantalize,” the music sounded like surfing on a tidal wave.