In Brief

Of the ‘90s power-poppers, Sweet has perhaps the fattest sound--a bass-guitar-drums crunch, with tunefulness to match the wallop. Here it lifts songs evoking the Beach Boys, Neil Young and Sweet’s own 1991 hit “Girlfriend.” But nothing is as arresting as the models’ high points, and this skimpy album--just 36 minutes--is more an exercise in form than artistic distinction. Sweet plays the El Rey Theatre on Friday.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four stars (excellent).

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Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https:/ /www.latimes.com/soundclips