There's something about Ada Jane's new record that sounds unrelentingly '90s, from the post-grunge guitars to the dense production. This doesn't immediately incriminate the band, but the approach doesn't do "Never Been Better" any favors, either, despite a valiant effort.

Ada Jane is a project from Matt Marka, a local rock musician whose eponymous band put out three self-released records between 1999 and 2003. "Never Been Better" features Twin Cities fixtures JoAnna James and Chris Koza, but even without them, the record would sound very Minneapolis – Ada Jane clearly has the Replacements and Husker Dü in mind, but lacks the songs to match the influences.

The disc starts strong with "You'll Never Be Satisfied," a raucous stomper featuring an especially Westerbergian riff. Marka's vocals are alarming in their ferocity but perfect for the track. The next song, "On Your Level," is a solid mid-tempo ballad about negotiation and compromise and though Marka's vocals here strain too far for emotion, the guitar work is sincere and convincing.

Not so for the rest of "Never Been Better," a record full of sheen but lacking in substance. Despite a few clarinet and cello appearances, the arrangements never quite lift the songs off the ground. The tracks are generally without charm or personality, both of which would have gone a long way toward making the songs less lifeless.

It's not an overall wash – this is competent musicians giving it their all to play meat-and-potatoes rock. Nonetheless, one must wonder how "Never Been Better" would've sounded with a little less protein and a little more sugar. DB

www.adajane.com