Jet

“Get Born” (Elektra)

Compare to: The Kinks, The Hives, AC/DC

Turn down “Stairway To Heaven,” raise your bottle and cheer. The bastard children of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones have arrived.

Australia natives Nic Cester, Chris Cester, Cameron Muncey and Mark Wilson have debuted their first album, “Get Born.”

Rolling Stones influences fill the album, most notably on “Get What You Need,” where Cester growls with the driving beat of the guitars.

“Get Me Outta Here” brings visions of hopping into a 1985 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, driving down the highway and being an all-around bad-ass.

However, familiarity seems to be a common theme for “Get Born.”

Perhaps “Rollover D. J.” says it best: “I wanna move but it don’t feel right/ Cuz you’ve been playing other people’s songs all night/ Well I know you think you’re a star/ A pill-popping jukebox is all that you are.”

Jet is trying to sound old-school without ripping off old-school ideas and sounds, but they’re trying a little too hard. By the middle of the album, you’ll wonder if each song is actually a cover.

It’s not a brilliant display of intelligent rock, but Jet does the “new music trying to be old music” genre some justice.

— Emily Cooper

Lo-Pro

“Lo-Pro” (Geffen)

Compare to: P.O.D., Soundgarden, Seven Mary Three

If you’re out on a Friday night and want to impress your date by showing him or her your love for hard rock music without seeming like a metalhead, pop in Lo-Pro’s debut and take your chances.

In fact, the whole record sounds either way too condensed or not condensed enough, depending on your preference for the volume levels and balance for each individual instrument.

Unfortunately, the seemingly far distance between the music and the listener is only the beginning of the album’s sluggishness.

The guitar parts are bass-heavy and distorted, but it seems as if guitarist Neil Godfrey has cuffs around each wrist, preventing him from crossing the threshold into heavy metal.

The musical vibe is comparable, making a listener feel relaxed and sheepish. Though not in any way depressing, the words are bland and hard to follow.

Though the album starts off hard, it makes a decline toward lightness. Toward the end, it recovers slightly, making a brief change on “Fake.” The song starts with a funky, four-bar drum fill from former Godsmack drummer Tommy Stewart.

Even Stewart’s complex, solid drumming can’t rescue the album from blandness and mediocrity. There is potential for these guys to evolve into a “good band,” but until they start writing more syncopated songs, they will remain just a “band.”

— Dan Hopper

Bill Mallonee

“Perfumed Letter” (Paste)

Compare to: Neanderthal Spongecake, Butch Vig, Joe Cerisano

If you’re a Bill Mallonee fan, you’re probably not surprised he’s put out another album. “Perfumed Letter” is sure to please his current followers and pick up a few new ones, too.

The record starts out strong with a particularly catchy song, “She’s So Liquid,” which, at some points, is reminiscent of the Beatles’ album, “Magical Mystery Tour.” This is not to say Perfumed Letter is psychedelic by any means. In fact, the vast majority of the music is light and somewhat restrained.

Lyrically, Bill Mallonee is right on the money. The disc seems to be filled with well-written words. Even better, they’re words that flow well with the music — and it’s hard not to listen to the words. “Perfumed Letter” ought to be a refreshing buy for those who are tired of bands that are hard to understand.

The album’s one downfall is its lack of variety. There is almost no change in style or tone throughout the entire project and most of the songs focus mainly on love. It’s more enjoyable than listening to Dashboard Confessional, but it can still get old fast.

A few songs stand out from the crowd. “Shirts and Skins” is about coming to grips with what money is good for: “I looked out at all my riches/ There was none for which to live/ Looked inside at all my poverty/ S’all that I had to give.”

Is this album worth purchasing? Yes, if you’re already a fan. If you’ve never heard his music, however, it may be wise to wait. There’s some good music on “Perfumed Letter,” but if variety is the spice of your life, it may be best to skip this album altogether.

— Campbell DeSousa

Coheed and Cambria

“In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3” (Equal Vision)

Compare to: Recover, Thursday

With the ring of a telephone, an an impish “Hello?” and a spine-tingling instrumental introduction, the latest installment in the saga of Coheed and Cambria is unleashed on the world.

This isn’t a metaphor — “In Keeping Secrets” is the third chapter of frontman Claudio Sanchez’s upcoming graphic novel, which centers around the main characters of Coheed and Cambria.

A concept album is risky, especially when it’s part of an epic story. But the beauty of “In Keeping Secrets” is its ability to tell a story without alienating the casual listener.

This is David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” without glam. It’s Styx’s “Kilroy Was Here” without robots. Hell — it’s even Olivia Newton-John’s “Xanadu” without roller skates.

The vocals alone are enough to make this an amazing album. Sanchez’s stratospheric falsetto finds its well-worn notch between beauty and bitterness, but instead of attacking every song head-on, Sanchez hits with a throttled range.

Matching Sanchez’s vocals is a challenge, but guitarist Travis Stever, bassist Mike Todd and drummer Josh Eppard complement them. They have discovered the secret to condensing prose into a listenable package — even if the listener has no idea of the hidden meanings.

In the fictional world of Coheed and Cambria, war has been waged. In the real world, the same can be said for Coheed and Cambria’s music revolution.

— Aaron Ladage