Bailter Space close out the '90s in fine form with Solar 3. While not quite up to the standards of Capsul and Photon, it still shows the threesome ready to begin their third decade of performance with as much energy as they had when starting off as the Gordons. Perhaps consciously aiming at a return to the bliss-outs of the Thermos/Robot World days, on a number of songs Bailter Space combine the textures of those albums with the more stripped-down and straightforward approaches of later years. Right Now fuses these elements especially well, with layers of chiming guitars and feedback shooting throughout the mix, the rhythm driving along just so, and Parker singing almost like the Jesus Mary Chain's Jim Reid in sneer mode on the chorus. He repeats the trick on So Am I, but it doesn't work as well -- indicative of the up-and-down nature of the record. At points, what should be more great over-the-top rock-outs from the band merely sound like lazy smash-and-bash by rote: Windows on the World is something other groups could do just fine, but it wastes the talents of the trio. At the same time, quieter numbers like Locher allow Bailter Space to demonstrate that it's not all sheer fuzz and attack on the band's part, though sometimes the spark can be missing a bit from them as well. Overall, though, Solar 3 is disappointing only in the sense that Wammo was: While the three members aren't at their absolute best, they're still much better than most, and the two records suffer in comparison only to the rest of the band's back catalog. When things fully connect -- as on the gorgeous, lengthy flow of Tide -- few can touch them. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

1		Two Stars
2		Right Now
3		So Am I
4		Worke Up
5		Live for You
6		Windows on the World
7		Big Cat
8		Locher
9		Starand
10		Space X
11		Tide
12		Trekka

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