1 star

James Treloar and Tim Daws of The Adult Bookstore have one thing in common with macho belter Thom Combe: They lack the dignity of former Bookstore bassist Wayne Bermeister, who retired after the death of bandmate and irreplaceable frontman Tim Horn. To reconcile their stylistic differences with Combe, guitarist Daws and drummer Treloar replicate their guest’s lean ’70s biker-rock machine, A Fishing Vessel, and, thanks to Combe’s still-enviable lung power, they muster a fair amount of bluster. But unintentionally camp lyrics like “Once I loved a butterfly/Don’t wonder how, don’t ask me why” squash the mood of midlife ballsiness. Alternating rave-ups with overwrought ballads, this mismatched combo brings out the best in each other only on the refreshingly lightweight “Bottle for a Finger,” where Combe crows like a country rooster while Daws and Treloar approximate a pampered peacock strut.