Tenderhooks

Knoxville’s Tenderhooks make music scribes wax ecstatic and reach for reference points all over the map of Western rock, from proto-power-pop like Big Star to late-era Velvet Underground. But perhaps it’s best not to think too much about the band’s infectious and insanely catchy pop anthems, because thinking too much only serves to ruin the danceable, hummable fun of it all. Which isn’t to say the ‘hooks are lightweight. The band’s songwriting chops are estimable; their three-minute pieces of pop-rock candy are sweet to the taste, no doubt, but they also stick to the ribs. (Mike Gibson)