Sebadoh

Sebadoh's two songwriters, the tragically inclined Lou Barlow and the testy Jason Lowenstein, have often been at musical odds. Their albums, several of which are indie-rock classics, are sometimes out of balance because of this dueling dynamic of lovesickness and aggression. With The Sebadoh the band finally evens out this discrepancy and strikes a more unified mood. "Color Blind" is an atypically introspective look at race relations. "Flame" faces life changes with a catchy, metronomic chorus, and the rolling dissonance of "Decide" confronts a loss of trust with kickin' rock muscle. Fans of Barlow's hangdog yearnings may have a new standard in the moving "Love Is Stronger," a song that elegantly states the primacy of love. The Sebadoh, you might say, is like Prozac. It has ironed out the bipolar characteristics of a band and left us with a strange but welcome elation. --Lois Maffeo