POP MUSIC REVIEW : Hurricane Blows Life Into Roxy

Instead of trying to--shall we say-- blow you away with the usual rock ‘n’ roll gimmicks, Hurricane is a pop-metal band that tries to earn your allegiance.

In the first of its two shows Monday night at the Roxy, the L.A.-based quartet--which records for Enigma Records--demonstrated some solid credentials, including good stage presence, top-notch musicianship and some first-rate tunes.

Hurricane’s strongest force is lead singer Kelly Hansen. The rail-thin frontman exhibits the strong presence and playful attitude of a young Steven Tyler, while adding his own vocal and visual embellishments.

The Hurricane warnings? When you have musicians as capable as guitarist Robert Sarzo, drummer Jay Schellen and bassist Tony Cavazo, you’re bound to want to strut your stuff. But they often tended--both in formal solos and in quick bursts--to distract from, rather than enhance, the songs.

Hurricane also needs more consistent material. The group’s best tunes, including the hip-grinding “Insane” and relentlessly rhythmic “The Girls Are Out Tonight,” combine strongly commercial melodies within a heavy beat. But too many of the tunes lack definition.

If these guys learn that a hook means more than a mildly memorable chorus, then their continued trip upward is assured.