WOOD-WATER

Some will say that Promise Ring frontman Davey VonBohlen’s brush with death (he had a brain tumor removed last year) was behind the band’s transformation from whiny rockers to this polished pop incarnation, but WOOD/WATER is simply the culmination of a long-term makeover. Their fourth record teems with melodies so upbeat they make earnest contemporaries Jimmy Eat World sound like Slayer. They may be getting cozy with their inner child, but fortunately he’s a cool kid.