Ash: '1977'

To judge only from the guitar squall that opens "1977," Ash's second album, the band prefers noise to melody. That it did on its debut album, "Trailer," but the balance has shifted on this disc, a top-five hit in Britain. These Belfast kids still have an adolescent sense of humor -- the hidden "bonus" track features the sound of giggling and retching -- but this disc emphasizes classic tunefulness over raw aggression.

 The band's new material ranges from "Gone the Dream," a ballad that features a string section, to "Kung Fu," an ingratiatingly Ramonesy rocker that invokes the spirit of Jackie Chan. Owen Morris, who co-produced Oasis' "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?," gives the album a brighter sheen, but he hasn't dampened the band's spirits. The guitar still clashes powerfully -- and principal songwriter Tim Wheeler's heart still breaks extravagantly -- on such songs as "Angel Interceptor," an amusing punk/doo-wop hybrid, and "Girl From Mars." The result isn't distinctive, but it's energetic and amiable.