Record Rack

After Smash Mouth hit the big time last year with its wacky retro-pop opus “Walking on the Sun,” the San Jose outfit appeared to be on a ska-punk trajectory to one-hit-wonderland. On its sophomore album (in stores Tuesday), however, the group rallies with a more sophisticated batch of songs that compensate for any substantive shortcomings with a plush and snappy sense of style.

Most of the tracks are steeped in vintage mod vibes drawn from “Revolver”-era Beatles, the Kinks, the Who and even some of the Phil Spector-produced R&B; grooves that inspired those bands. But “Astro Lounge” isn’t strictly a ‘60s time capsule. Smash Mouth follows its pop impulse long enough to arrive at tracks such as “Radio” and “Come On Come On,” which combine the rambunctious punk energy of the Clash’s 1977 debut with the feisty pop of Elvis Costello & the Attractions’ “Radio Radio.” There are also a few requisite ska interludes, but the rude boy routine seems less gimmicky with these more accomplished tunes.

“Astro Lounge” might not be an album for the ages, but it suggests Smash Mouth may have enough of the right stuff to survive well into the new millennium.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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