Connect (Deluxe)

Editors’ Notes Australia's Sick Puppies are hardly the abrasive and offensive power trio that their name suggests. The best songs on their fourth album, 2013's Connect, are largely the ones that embrace their commercial pop instincts. "Gunfight" may have a rattling, repetitive chorus that sticks, but it's no match for the smooth, harmonious grandeur of the acoustic-based "Poison," where smooth production from Rock Mafia (a.k.a. Tim James and Antonina Armato) enhances the vibe dramatically. Similarly, "Where Did the Time Go," with its gentle dynamic between acoustic verses and slightly electrified choruses, shows a more interesting group than the one that tries to pummel the competition on "Walking Away." That a band named Sick Puppies would actually be at their best at their most sensitive ("Telling Lies," "Connect," "Under a Very Black Sky") awakens the old cliché of never judging a book by its title. The deluxe version has four bonus cuts, including the charged-up "What Are You Thinking" and a bonus version of the single "There's No Going Back."