If you've been missing the days of large haired bands rocking out in sparkly muscle shirts, pine no further -- Jungle has entered the building. Whether the band photos that accompany the liner notes are a joke or not is questionable, but regardless of their validity, it gave me a good laugh. I think I even spotted a mullet in there.

Jungle has made a determined effort to cast themselves as an early '80s flashback rather than a serious band, but the facade collapses when the band begins to play. It's a little difficult to hide great melodies and expert musicianship. If these guys were indeed one of that bands that emerged during that thankless era, you'd remember them as legitimate, skilled musicians. To further attempt to explain their sound, try to imagine if Wilco's Jeff Tweedy was a member of Kiss. If you can picture this, strangely enough, you've got it.

From the short but swinging "Panchero" to the somewhat sultry "Get Me Back", Jungle embodies guitar rock at its finest. On "Sweet Corn Pie", Jungle displays a bit of construction site humor backed by ZZ Top guitar-work, then evokes the spirit of The Cars on the melodious and catchy "Come Into My Life". Throw in a bit of the anthem-style rock on "Spared" and you've got yourself a rocking album.

Delving into this particular bygone genre is risky business, but when it's done as well as this, it's hard to not enjoy it. Whether or not Long Time No See will be taken seriously, I'm not sure, but it should. Jungle has an undeniably tight sound, a complete lack of pride and enough energy to help eliminate the California power shortages. It's hard not to like that.