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Against the Stars (East West) (star) (star) 1/2
The Dambuilders have become more eclectic and extravagant with each of their three major-label releases, and “Against the Stars” boasts an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink smorgasboard of genres. Disco, dream pop, grunge, ’70s guitar rock, new wave, prom-night ballads and even steel drums all find a place amid the Boston quartet’s mix of urgent vocals, tumbling drums and stun-gun guitars. Joan Wasser’s violin playing is, unfortunately, less prominent this time out, but she does a mean Debbie Harry impersonation on a pair of songs, and bassist Dave Derby wails his way through the record like a drowning man, until he’s reduced to a whisper on the final track. The individual songs are often intriguing, but the Dambuilders ultimately sound like they’re trying on styles for fun rather than absorbing them into a sound of their own, a shortcoming that prevents “Against the Stars” from having much impact.