Talk Show: Talk Show

The on-again, off-again relationship between Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and the rest of his band has led to the establishment of Talk Show, in which the lesser-known STPers have teamed up with former Ten Inch Men singer Dave Coutts. The resulting self-titled debut sounds, well, a lot like Stone Temple Pilots with a slightly less distinctive singer. As for Talk Show itself, listen to songs like "So Long" and "End Of The World," and ask yourself if you haven't heard these hooks and guitar sounds before. To its credit, the group mixes up its sound throughout the record: Oasis and The Beatles are reference points on songs like "Behind," while acoustic ballads like "Fill The Fields" and "Peeling An Orange" help diversify things. Still, it's a profoundly mediocre record, which is about what you'd expect from three-quarters of a profoundly mediocre band.