In Brief

Iha shows his best side in his solo debut, proving there’s more to him than his loud guitar rock role in the Smashing Pumpkins. “Let It Come Down” is a refreshingly mellow collection of ballads and pop love songs, voiced through Iha’s boyish croon and old-fashioned rock instrumentation. The album is rich with harmony and sunny lyrics, but Iha is too hesitant to stray from his safe roots/alt-country groove.

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

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