This British mod/garage quartet lives up to the title of its new CD by shedding some of the ’60s frills that defined its earlier records. Granted, there are punchy, hook-y rockers like “Caught in a Trap” and “Ink” that create a buzzing whirl of Farfisa-style organ and tremolo-glazed fretwork straight out of “Nuggets.” And the Contrast still plays with a crisp, crackling precision that’s clearly the product of a British Invasion fixation. But the new album also finds the Contrast shading its tunes in less trippy colors. With its easygoing melody and synthetic string section, “Adversity” would sound at home in any of the last three decades, while the melodic, midtempo yet heavy riffing on “Mean” evokes ’80s indie-rockers such as Rain Parade and Screaming Trees. But past touchstones aren’t ultimately the point, as the Contrast delivers yet another disc brimming with briskly infectious hooks that should tickle anyone with an appreciation for timeless rock.
