What's the fascination with Marc Roberge and his jam band besides their stage shows? O.A.R., which came together at Ohio State, made their reputation playing college towns. Their seventh album — with its tropical island vibes, horns, and beer-with-lime philosophy ("You can't live high if you can't live low") — is loaded with frat-house roots-rock jangle for the Abercrombie/Aeropostale set and people who still miss their college days. King is boring and unmemorable. At least Dave Matthews fills his albums with texture, trippy time signatures, and swirls of worldly beats. Or snack on a Widespread Panic record, where fat fills and harmonics don't underpin the jams — they literally are the songs. Even Jimmy Buffett isn't this tedious. Some producer should sit O.A.R. down, turn on the mics, and let them rip. — Peter Chakerian
