311 - Evolver

It takes some nerve nicking an album title from the Beatles, even in a slightly modified state. But since this Omaha, Nebraska band went through so many significant changes leading up to the release of its seventh studio album, at least it's a logical move. The aggressive Woody Woodpecker-style lyrical play and needling funk core of career lows, 1997's Transistor and 1999's Soundsystem, are toned down, replaced by a more sophisticated sound that stretches the group's well-trounced reggae-rap-rock template to include wisps of electronica and soul. The members of 311 still aspire to be half-as-clever as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but finally seem satisfied in their on skin on tracks such as "Creatures (For a While)" and the emotional "Beyond the Gray Sky." The psychedelic experiment "Seem Uncertain," meanwhile, merely lives up to its title. Producer Ron Saint Germain (Creed, Living Colour) has obviously taken significant strides in shaking the band up. This album points the way forward. --Aidin Vaziri