They like, totally rock

Remember that girl from high school? The really smart, overtly hip one with the really cool clothes? The one who always hinted that she was tortured by an inner darkness that nobody understood?\nWell, three of those girls got together and formed a little band called The Like.\nAnd they're really good.\nZ. Berg, the group's lead singer, sounds like Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, and when she decides to let it rip, she can really wail. Charlotte Froom on bass and Tennessee Thomas on drums make up the rest of the group. The bass and drums are understated without fading too far into the background, but wisely the album was produced in a way as to keep the music from overpowering Berg's great voice. The album as a whole (check out the sparkly, shiny, back-to-nature deer on the front cover) is slickly produced enough to pass as ear candy, but it's not so overly processed that all the nutrition is gone. \nI've also got to add that it's nice to hear a group of girls singing about girl things on songs aimed at girls. The album is a total girlfest without ever getting giggly or feeling necessary to make too much of a statement. It's a niche that's been aching to be filled, and The Like does it quite nicely.\nAll three girls have daddies who are music industry hard-hitters, and if the group's first full-length album weren't so solid, it would be tempting to suggest that there were some nepotistic overtones to their success.\nBut luckily the tunes that come from Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? are completely fabulous. The group manages to sound fresh-faced and earnest even as it blasts world-weary, I've-seen-it-all lyrics. Songs like "Under the Paving Stones" and "What I say And What I Mean" manage to rock hard even as they sound gentle and approachable, and ballad-esque numbers like "(So I'll Sit Here) Waiting" and "Too Late" just ooze "too young to drink, but old enough to have a broken heart."\nThe group has toured with cliquesters Maroon 5, Rooney and Phantom Planet, and it's easy to see the fit. They have Maroon 5's chops and Rooney's vaguely angst-y lyrical value. \nAnd while The Like may not have the timelessness to stick around too long, I'm hoping they stay long enough to leave a mark on music. For those that need recommendations, if you've ever been a fan of Tori Amos or Rilo Kiley, The Like deserves a place on your playlist.