haircuts, it's comforting that the self-titled release from Los Angeles's Boy Hits Car is able to reconcile the savage razor's edge of Papa Roach with some of the flamboyancy of alternative music. Their second album offers a number of pleasantly contrary moments, not the least of which include "The Rebirth" (which summons recollections of the Screaming Trees) and "As I Watch the Sun F**k the Ocean" (recalling Jane's Addiction). While the band falls short in spots, their bit-of-this, bit-of-that dynamic works surprisingly smoothly throughout, as rolls of heavy riffage break over flute, bongo, and tabla. Boy Hits Car might be a little too off-center to topple the likes of Papa Roach from nu metal's zenith, but this fine album is a reminder that an alternative take on a ...  (less)