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Los Angeles-based rock group the Like takes a decidedly retro approach on its second album, "Release Me," the follow-up to 2005's "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?" In addition to recording in analog with gear from the '60s, the band employs girl-group melodies over a slew of vintage musical influences. Menacing organs ("Don't Make a Sound," "Wishing He Was Dead") and slinky bass ("Narcissus in a Red Dress") channel the psychedelic and sexually charged vibe of the '60s, while "Catch Me If You Can" showcases the Like's sugary pop sensibilities. And with its Motown feel, the title track finds singer Elizabeth "Z" Berg crooning about love gone wrong ("I wish you knew I'm not the one for you/You're not the one I need/And I can't stand you") over a harmonized chorus of "ooh's" from her female bandmates, but the vocals don't go down as smoothly as the Supremes. Meanwhile, it's on the standout cut "I Can See It in Your Eyes" where Berg settles into her most comfortable range and the group does its most believable impression of the Animals.- Lindsey Fortier
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