Sixteen Stone

Sixteen Stone

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Nirvana should've been quite flattered by <I>Sixteen Stone</I>. The English quartet perfectly mimics the early '90s grunge sound with this '94 release. As for Kurt Cobain comparisons, singer Gavin Rossdale has a captivating voice, but lyrics are not his forte, as the splintered ramblings of "Everything Zen" indicates. (Gotta do better than "There's no sex in your violence.") The players meanwhile produce a perfectly competent approximation of their Northwestern heroes. "Little Things" is a successful rewrite of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" while "Machinehead" crunches like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. In fact, the whole album feels like a throwback to 1992. <I>Sixteen Stone</I> may be derivative, but it's catchy as hell, too. <I>--Rob O'Connor</I>