Toning Down the Tough Edges

It’s a pleasant surprise that “Unusual Warmth” lives up to its name. I caught a live set by the Costa Mesa-based 4 a while back, and “Unstoppable Headache” comes closer to describing the experience.

In the studio, though, the blatant, slab-like, oppressively loud monolith of 4’s live sound has been toned down, clarified and dispersed. Instead, the trio achieves an engulfing, oceanic density that washes over a listener instead of trying to hammer him or her senseless.

Matt Michael’s layered distortion guitars evoke Sonic Youth and some Seattle grunge stuff; fluf’s former drummer, Miles Gillett (since replaced by ex-Cadillac Tramps and Big Drill Car member Jamie Riedling) rides the cymbals and splashes more spume on the tidal sound. Michael’s singing falls between a scream and a groan; the band’s steadily thrumming churn takes the edge off his angst and indeed lends unusual warmth to what could have been the usual exercise in heavy, baleful banging.

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Nebula hasn’t recruited Ethel Merman as a guest singer, but the thrust of “Let It Burn” seems to be “anything you can do, I can do better.” Singer-guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano were booted out of O.C.’s Fu Manchu in 1996. Their new band, with bassist Mark Abshire, takes a similar approach, playing heavy riff-rock songs with lyrics about zooming off into space or down the open road delivered in a voice less sung than intoned.

Fu Manchu has more crunch for the metal heads, but Nebula’s space truckin’ machine takes the corners better as Glass throws in lots of psychedelic fuzz tone and wah-wah effects on guitar, and Romano adds rhythmic flexibility with congas, sleigh bells and shakers. Glass’ limited singing is fairly prominent in the mix, but it’s sufficient to carry some hooky catch phrases about trippy escapes into sci-fi adventure.

Ironically, a closing acoustic departure, “Raga in the Bloodshot Pyramid,” suffers from lack of motion as the band establishes a promising, Zep-like feel with sitar and 12-string guitar but doesn’t develop it enough.

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Ratings range from * (poor) to **** (excellent), with three stars denoting a solid recommendation.

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* 4, Nebula and Chokebore play Wednesday at Club Mesa, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa. (714) 642-8448.