As any modern rock radio station will prove if you listen to it for half an hour or so, grunge has a lot to answer for. There are dozens of third-, fourth- and fifth-generation clones, each with Vedder-doppelganger lead singers, crunchy guitars, angsty lyrics and a handful of more-or-less identical-sounding songs. However, despite all of the evil wrought in its name, the genre had its strong points. Few moments in music have matched the intensity of the opening riff of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and no self-absorbed, frail-voiced emo whiner can top the efforts of Vedder and Cobain.

Fan Belt Seven is best appreciated in the spirit of grunge's best moments. Friday Night Pick Up blatantly nods to the musical high points of the early 1990s, yet avoids the clichés that trap so many of the band's peers. Lead singer Corey Albert doesn't affect any sort of deep-throated growl, and as such Friday Night Pick Up doesn't have the same sense of heavy-handedness that plagues most other bands in the neo/post grunge arena. Along the same lines, the album doesn't rely on catchy riffs to carry its songs, but creates interesting melodies by blending acoustic and electric guitars. As that comparison suggests, the band bears some similarity to Alice in Chains, but is a good deal more energetic than that group ever was.

"Favourite One", for example, has a persistent riff, which in the hands of other bands may have led to a far more plodding, predictable song. Here, it drives the song forward, maintaining the energy level rather than helping it to flatline. The rest of the album works along similar lines. "Desperate Times" veers perilously close to anthem status, but never quite crosses that line -- and for a change, the added complexity makes the song stronger. Other songs, like "Lonely Old Me" and "Drive Father", are imbued with an uncharacteristic but effective bounciness that makes it impossible not to enjoy them.

As good as Friday Night Pick Up may be, it's not prompt a broad-based re-evaluation of grunge, and it certainly won't atone for Creed. Take it for what it is -- an enjoyable, better-than-average listen, capable of restoring a modicum of faith in an otherwise compromised genre.