POP MUSIC REVIEW : Talent Can’t Save Gales Band

Eighteen-year-old guitar whiz Eric Gales, whose band played at the Whisky on Tuesday, is as good as all the rave reviews he received when his first album came out two years ago. In addition to the standard flashy runs and zooms, he can coax just about any sound out of his guitar.

But it takes more than technical proficiency to make a quality band. The Eric Gales Band has plenty of instrumental talent, but not much else. The sooner Gales gets out of his Jimi Hendrix phase, the better off the quartet will be. Still, without his guitar genius, which sometimes shone brilliantly through the cliches Tuesday, this group wouldn’t have much to offer.

Neither of the front men--Eric or his older brother, singer-guitarist Eugene--is loaded with charisma. As vocalists, both postured and contorted a lot at the Whisky, but nothing memorable ever came out.

These flaws might be bearable if they had some knockout material. While the new second album, “Picture of a Thousand Faces,” is an improvement over the debut collection, neither one features any grabbers.