Record Rack

*** The Tories, “Upside of Down,” 02 Records. Only one chorus into the Los Angeles group’s sophomore album, frontman Steve Bertrand, his voice riding the crest of coruscant power chords, wonders: “If I was on fire / would you notice?” Nice metaphor. If a band goes 3 1/2 years between albums and emerges from contractual and internal woes with a sparkling, self-released collection, can it, uh, catch fire?

“Upside” sounds optimistic--though measurably less wide-eyed than the Tories’ debut, “Wonderful Life,” which gave them a modest hit, “Gladys Kravitz,” and a chance to write the theme song for the NBC sitcom “Jesse” (“Time for You,” which appears here). Whether out of a loss of innocence or plenty of idle time, the Tories’ core trio (Bertrand, James Guffee and J.J. Farris) and producer Stuart Brawley summon uncommon power.

Earnest without seeming highhanded, high-minded but not cynical, the Tories let guitars cut a wide swath for their seamless harmonies. The dramatic swells of “Would You Notice” and the biting riffs of “Greatest Foe” have a Foo Fighters feel, though it fades by the time the Tories sprinkle in the retro-pop “Superconductor.” The wistfulness might wear thin by the closing “All the World’s for Sale,” but the flame isn’t extinguished.

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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.