Neva Dinova, 'You May Already Be Dreaming' (Saddle Creek)
At least Bright Eyes always put in that extra 10 percent.
By Josh Modell 05.15.08 2:55 PM
There's trying to sound like you're not trying and then there's actually not trying -- Omaha's countryish rockers Neva Dinova do a bit of both on their third album. At worst, chief songwriter Jake Bellows sounds utterly bored by his own compositions: Crazy Horse–style guitars save "Clouds" from total flatness, but the minimal "Tryptophan" admits defeat right in the title. A discernible vocal melody startles the John Prine–inspired "Love From Below" from the haze, and an increased tempo jump-starts "It's Hard to Love You," but it's an uphill battle after so many purposefully under-inspired moments.
