We, the Vehicles

Maritime's new album, 'We, The Vehicles', will likely prove to be one of the most pleasant surprises of 2006. Unlike their last stale and monotonous offering, 'Glass Floor', everything here sounds rejuvenated and, well, actually good. This is by far the best thing Davey von Bohlen - vocalist of the now deceased Promise Ring - has done since the emo-boy classic Nothing Feels Good. Tracks like ''Parade of Punk Rock T-shirts'' and ''No One Will Remember'' (which sounds like some stripped-down Mice Parade b-side) repeatedly have the power of invoking stupid grins and unconscious foot tapping. This LP sounds as if it has been soaking in layer upon layer of pop-goodness. Trust the overly optimistic Japanese voice shouting that it's OK and everything is going to be fine at the start of 'We, The Vehicles'. You can pull those old Promise Ring records back out from under the bed now.

This is definitely a leap up from ''Glass Floor,'' but I don't think these guys have reached their potential yet. Some of the tracks can get a bit dull, but others pick up the slack and overachieve. ''Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts'' is one of the best songs to come out this year. Damn, that song is so good.

After the promise of their first EP (''Adios'' is still their high-water mark), Maritime's debut album was quite a letdown. Fortunately, they've gotten it together for album #2, with much-improved lyrics, solid melodies, and a confidence in Davey's voice that was missing from Glass Floor. The bass playing finally starts living up to Axelson's potential, and the group actually sounds like a cohesive band. Best of all, it's great to see a band overcome a creative misstep and recover to what is hopefully the first of more albums in this vein.