Pop Music Reviews : Volcano Suns Renew Dinful Burma’s Legacy

All that noise about all that noise emanating from Seattle’s hot Sub Pop records seems a tad silly, historically speaking, given the sophisticatedly sculpted din made in the early ‘80s by Boston’s late Mission of Burma--not to mention progenitor Iggy Pop.

Both the history and the silliness were acknowledged by bassist Bob Weston of the Volcano Suns, a trio led by ex-Burma drummer Peter Prescott, when a fan at the Suns’ show at Bogart’s in Long Beach on Thursday shouted for something by Iggy’s old Stooges. “Nah,” retorted Weston drolly. “Just listen to anything on Sub Pop.”

That comment would boil down to mere pique if the Suns weren’t a band that can walk it like it talks it. The clean-cut, nice-guy look of the trio is reflected in the tuneful yet urgent musical style. Prescott’s clever melodies and rhythm and tempo shifts and David Kleiler’s distinctive, accomplished guitar playing make complimentary analogies to Husker Du credible. But on Thursday the Suns never quite achieved the critical mass promised both in name and legacy.