T.S.O.O.L.: Senseless but still soulful

The name is epic, and so is the music. The aptly titled the Soundtrack of Our Lives (or T.S.O.O.L. to true believers) is a band of faithful students of rock royalty and the underground, absorbing all the old messianic rock moves and other tricks of the guitar god trade, re-creating ancient urgent sounds with ease and conviction.

On Wednesday, in the first of two sold-out dates at the Troubadour, the flurries of rock and pure pop were rich and genuine for 75 minutes. As the Scandinavian sextet launched into one more grinding Stonesy riff, singer Ebbot Lundberg stood in his ceremonial robes with arms opened wide to declare: “Welcome, citizens of Pacifico!”

What it all meant was never exactly clear. Lyrics from the T.S.O.O.L. songbook are often surreal, feel-good nonsense, but the overall effect Wednesday revealed more musical soul than Oasis ever had on most days, with sharp, lasting melodies and classic rock riffing, some of it more Stooges than Stones.

Likewise, “Broken Imaginary Time” may have been gibberish, but its brooding psychedelic waves of organ and solid bass lines were big and powerful.

The 2000 song “Dow Jones Syndrome” was like AC/DC with Jim Morrison on the mike, as Lundberg wailed about giving it away.

Not all of the material was up to that standard, with some songs big, windy and shapeless. But when T.S.O.O.L. was good, it was a spectacular blend of old and new.