light-hearted

Beautiful Light (Naked Language Records)

The Fleshtones

By Kory Wilcoxson

The best kind of music you can make is the kind that is as fun to listen to as it is to make. The Fleshtones take that from-the-hip approach on Beautiful Light.

With the country-rockabilly guitar of Keith Streng and an active horn section, The Fleshtones serve up some finger-wagging pop tunes with a definite Texas swing.

Singer Peter Zaremba can never seem to find the right key, but for these guys, that's a minor detail. In fact, it adds to the backroom feel of songs like "Mushroom Cloud" and "Not Everybody's Jesus." And the rousing "Outcast" brought back fond memories of the late, great Rainmakers.

Add the fact that REM's Peter Buck is behind the controls as producer and you'll be hard pressed to find any major flaws with Beautiful Light. Even if you did, The Fleshtones are having too much fun to care.