Million Dollar Rock

Chicago's Millions turns in a chunky, fizzy, and promising set of glam-tinged modern rock on the band's self-released debut, Million Dollar Rock. Every inch of these songs that isn't filled with vocalist Dan Edwards' energetic if a bit workmanlike vocals is jammed with the roaring and screeching of Millions' twin guitars. This inescapable rattle puts the record in line with the smirking, anthemic alt.rock of acts like Lit or even Goldfinger. With just a bit of tweaking, "No Good Without You" could be a hair metal stomper in the vein of Mötley Crüe's "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)," and that's a good thing. These guys happily seize on the same mantle of enormous, slightly goofy rock held aloft by the Crüe — but this being the 21st century, their cock rock is cut with a healthy shot of modern rock mojo. Standouts include "Today Is the Day" and "Gimme Gimme," where fun, studio-tweaked harmonies ooze all over a cool Cars chord progression. The impossibly huge metal soloing of the title track is pretty spectacular, too. Overall, Million Dollar Rock is painted with the same broad strokes and primary colors as the comic book superheroine depicted in its artwork. But it's equally as fun and curvaceous, content in its two-dimensional sugar high.