unpretentious indie rock is still possible?

Rhode Island indie rockers The Jena Campaign released their second album "A Panda for Amanda" a few months ago on Nobody's Favorite Records to little fanfare or acclaim. And that's cool. Because The Jena Campaign isn't pretentious. No, they're just a breath of fresh air.

In a scene plauged by college freshman trying to recreate the sickly overproduced sound of The Dresden Dolls, The Jena Campaign is simply making music. It's not genius. It's not album of the year material. But it's solid songwriting with no frills. And it seems like that's becoming an anomoly these days.

It seems like "rock & roll" doesn't mean anything anymore, and "indie rock" means even less. But "Panda" is just that: a straightforward indie rock record. The comparisons are obvious and generally in the vein of Pedro the Lion or Pavement, but the album certainly has its moments where a Buffalo Springfield comparison would be appropriate, too. And it leaves the listener wondering if they're listening to rock and roll, folk, slowcore, folk rock, alt.country, or indie rock. Kind of like that one folk band from Portland did in the late 90's.

It kicks off with "You Stole My Car and Then You Stole My Heart," and by the time the drums kick in at the second verse, you're hooked. It's a great blend of banjo, mandolin, guitars, and lovely female harmonies. And that blend is pretty consistent through the whole record.

Aside from the first track which is great, the high points include the irritatingly catchiness and singalongability of "A Born-Again Christian upon Reading The DaVinci Code," the Simon and Garfunkel-esque harmonies of "Our Weekend in Kansas" the title track, and "Cheyenne Skyline."

The second half of the album drags a bit, but certainly never gets boring. And even the slower parts have their moments. None of the songs feel like they were just included to fill up time, a big step forward from their first album.

So, kudos to The Jena Campaign for making a solid, straightforward rock and roll record. Its consistency is applaudable. Its simple production is a relief. Its catchiness keeps me humming it to myself. It's been in my CD player for like a week straight. Thanks, guys.