of clarion guitar and a little less of that numbing "Loser"-style groove would have gone a long way. Pitched a little too comfortably between serious emotional risk and raw, rousing desperation, Beautiful Freak is admirable but ultimately unmoving.

Semisonic, on the other hand, could sing about shoveling elephant shit in a windstorm and still sound like manna from Badfinger heaven. Great Divide is that rare '96 beast, a record of simple but sparkling modern pop, rattling with power-trio vitality. The album's luminous guitar vocal glaze bears the distinct imprint of singer/guitarist Dan Wilson and singer/bassist John Munson's former band, arch popsters Trip Shakespeare. But the subtle melodic torsion in songs like "Delicious," "f.n.t." and "Across the Great Divide," and the contagious vigor of the performances, are wholly Semisonic. By the way, "f.n.t." stands for fascinating new thing. Perfect. (RS 750/751)

DAVID FRICKE