Days of the New Has Rootsy Flavor

The influences looming behind the self-titled debut album by Days of the New are pretty clear. Alice in Chains overtones are pervasive, with hints of Pearl Jam and tinges of Morphine, though the mostly unplugged quartet (both guitarists play acoustic) does incorporate enough sultry allure and exotic, rootsy flavors to assert its own personality. At the Glass House in Pomona on Wednesday, however, the Louisville-based musicians showed their true colors with a seamless set of epic rock that transcended the obvious influences and delved into the heart of their music.

Dynamic, sinuous rhythms and flourishes of piquant Eastern scales brought to mind Led Zeppelin such as “Kashmir,” though these post-punk troubadours tackled their sweeping themes with a distinctly grungy, down-to-earth approach. Travis Meeks was a riveting frontman, murmuring and belting out the songs with unfaltering ardor, although he rarely made eye contact with the audience from behind his hair. Furious outbursts of gracefully raw jamming occasionally approached a Who-like intensity; the fleeting, fiery solos that flashed out of Meeks’ guitar especially recalled Pete Townshend’s acoustic contributions to that group.

Despite these classic rock allusions, Days of the New avoided going through the kind of retro motions that are so prevalent these days, demonstrating that, with an infusion of fresh passion, that which is old really can be new again.