Charged

by Steve HueyNebula's second true full-length album, Charged begins to reign in the previous extended jams somewhat, improving the consistency of the band's songwriting. Nebula's fusion of Blue Cheer and Mudhoney is very much intact, and Eddie Glass' limited vocal range still resembles a stoned, mellowed-out Mark Arm -- all of which means that Nebula hasn't exactly evolved into the hookiest band on the planet. But the sheer power of Nebula's riffs has never been quite as focused as it is on Charged and, what's more, the band's arrangements continue to grow more detailed, incorporating layers of acoustic guitars and trippy background effects on some tracks. So, even if Charged isn't a huge leap forward, it still represents a progression that helps explain why Nebula continues to move toward the front of the stoner rock pack.