Same old, same old for alt-rockers

Sticking to a proven pattern has worked for many artists. However, the proven pattern must occasionally be tweaked or the sound goes stale.\nOn Vertical Horizon's fifth album, Go, the Boston foursome continues the sound which made them a smash success on 1999's Everything You Want. Unfortunately, this sound quickly becomes tiring and repetitive, producing little more than a 45-minute song.\nThis is not to say the album is of bad quality. Singer Matt Scannell's spirited vocals are consistent throughout, and the pace of the album rarely slips until the waning moments when three ballads are needlessly packed together.\nMost of the tracks consist of Scannell and guitarist Kevin Kane harmonizing earnestly amidst a crashing hail of power chords. For the ballads, light guitar strumming mixes well with artificial string accompaniments. The band does this relatively well; the problem is the songs are indistinguishable from one another.\nVertical Horizon sounds identical to a less artistically diverse Semisonic, R.E.M. or Live. The lyrics invoke nothing in particular and the song structures shine with modesty. They play the post-grunge alternative schtick well, but the time when those bands flooded the airwaves is long gone. The band must learn to improve upon its sound, or become as forgotten as most of their mid- '90's contemporaries.