From the first greasy guitar licks on "Forget Anything," Billy Momo (a Swedish band, not a person) makes a splash. These songs have a very 70s feel to them, perhaps somewhere between Blue Oyster Cult and the louche Stones albums that arrived in the middle of that decade. But instead of capitulating to the self-indulgence imperative, Billy Momo tightens the reins.

Billy Momo Seven Rivers Wild (Mo Better Music)

An album that is always in motion, even as it rambles through a variety of mid-tempo settings. The band's rage for order shines up the soft edges of his sound, and his knack for melody is spot-on. Chill-down fare for those still in the office.

Billy Momo stuffs a lot of ideas into each song. Most start simply, but the band builds tension both by adding and removing pieces until arriving at a final statement that sounds like a foregone conclusion. Even if it is anything but.

I really like the idea of taking moody influences and turning them into tight pop-rock glisteners. The band sure knows its craft, and it also knows how to let a thought roam--if just for a moment. Quite a revelation for late in the year.

Jon Worley