Atomsmasher boast that one of their songs was featured on the WB sitcom Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. Even if you're not familiar with that particular show (Which probably means that your last name is Nielsen -- Ed.), the fact that it was on the WB should give you some idea of Atomsmasher's target demographic. It's not hard to imagine these organ-heavy, power chord-driven pop songs playing over the PA in the high school gymnasium as Nick Freno tries to coax his students into enjoying their first dance, while somehow attempting to deal with his infatuation for Ms. Lewis. While that show is an embarrassing indictment of '90s sitcoms, Ed Marshall -- Atomsmasher's principal songwriter -- writes timeless rock songs, each one so straightforward that it belongs to no decade.

On "Wait 'til You Come Back" and "Always Right", Marshall and keyboardist Brett Erenberg forge a sound that harkens back to Ric Ocasek's glory days, while still pressing the group's sound into a modern realm a la Grandaddy. On "Very Hungry", Marshall uses a friend's sins as an opportunity to show off his sharp tongue. "Each day I hate you more than you know," he sings over a melody too catchy to be so angry. "I hope you reap what your ass has sewn. Yeah, I hope you get what you give out soon."

It's easy to see how these talented gents landed one of their tunes on TV; most of these catchy cuts readily lend themselves to the cinematic format. It's hard to listen to the bouncy "I Feel" without imagining one of the hapless weirdos from a Farrelly Brothers film in a montage sequence, trying to woo a woman who's way out of his league. And just like the Farrellys, Marshall and company do an excellent job of channeling anger and pain through humor -- and a sugar coating thick enough for the most mainstream audiences in the country.