South Carolina's the Drag blends power pop melodies with brash Brit-pop attitude to varied results on their 1996 album Satellites Beaming Back at You.

When the mixture works, like on vibrant tracks such as "Quiet Feel," "Our Race Cars," and "Another Shade," the band proves quite capable of creating striking pop music.

"Eat Your Heart Out" soars, powered by a frenzied charge of guitars and drums, while "Die a Little" downplays its earnest lyrics with a playfully jangling melody.

Other songs -- like the eight-minute "Fountainbleau" and "Superstar 8" -- while pleasant, lack the hooks and personality of the Drag's best work.

Fortunately, this quintet is successful far more often than not, making Satellites Beaming Back at You one of the more satisfying, though overlooked, guitar pop albums of 1996.