Hum-Downward Is Heavenward (RCA)

Hailing from Champaign, Illinois, previously best known in rock circles as home of REO Speedwagon, can't help a young band in winning any credibility awards. So a band has to go out and put its money where its mouth is.

Happily, Hum is able to do this on their second album. A mass of slashing guitars and swirling sounds gives the band a tricky tightrope to navigate -- a mixture of punky sensibilities and an ethereal bent.

Bringing to mind bands like Ride and Lush, Hum are able to pull this off with aplomb. Starting out with the exquisite mindfuck of "Isle of the Cheetahs," they also pull off such cool tricks as the Matchbox 20 meets Nirvana rock theatrics of "Comin' Home."

The band seems to like the tension of starting out with acoustic guitars and quickly mixing in a wall of marauding electrics. Despite the danger of a trainwreck, they pull it off with cool aplomb. (3/98)

Alex Diamond

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