Astray

Remember 1994? Remember how California seemed to be teeming with snarling, punk-stained rockers? Remember how they all sounded so fresh, just crackling with energy? Well Samiam was there then, but unlike most of their contemporaries, they’ve survived into the next decade without losing a step. Their latest offering, Astray, is simply a powerhouse. From the opening chords of “Sunshine,” an explosive adrenalin rush of pure, guitar-driven angst, the Bay Area quintet sets a torrid pace. But rather than run themselves into the ground trying to stick to it, they create a more dynamic album, filled with emotional peaks and valleys. Melodic blasts of post-punk fury (“Wisconsin,” “Dull,”) sit comfortably alongside torment-fueled ballads (“Mud Hill,” “Why Do We”) and some surprisingly soaring arena-rock (“Calloused,” “”Mexico”) vaguely reminiscent of what U2 were doing before Bono went rock star and never came back. Ahh, the good old days.