Fear of a Phantom Planet

Phantom Planet is back, and you hardly knew they were here; that is, unless you watch "The O.C.," for which they provide the nauseatingly catchy theme song. If you dig deeper, you would find a band that relies on little more than a near-celebrity drummer (Jason Schwartzman), the already risen tide of new rock and a chorus consisting of an endlessly repeated warning to California (namely, "Here we come," which is odd because they're from L.A.). This, their third album, improves on the weaknesses while still retaining that anonymous flavor just like Candlebox and Seven Mary Three did in times of grunge. \nAlex Greenwald's everyman vocals have been given an identity: Julian Casablancas'. It would slide if they'd bothered to acknowledge the Strokes in their props section. Yet even with his Lou Reed-twice-removed drawl, Greenwald just slightly hinders a consistently rockin' set. And all disses leave the room when "Big Brat" leaps out of your speakers with the confidence of a Diamond Dave jump kick. Here, Schwartzman's skins are dominated by the timeless tango of Devo guitars and a Drummatix beat. This is their standout track though, so if you crave more quality, "The O.C." is on FOX Wednesdays.