Local band Velvet Freeze (named after the ice cream company that dominated Kansas City last century) is way more fresh when checked out live at a local venue, but their last CD Wearwithal is chock-full of gems you don't have to get dressed up for to get gratified by.

Velvet Freeze is comprised of Josh Shelton on vocals and guitar, his sister Stephanie on bass and vocals, and Dave Handley on drums and cymbals. They call their sound "original funkdafied earth music," which is probably the best way of saying it appeals to a very diverse rock audience.

If Wearwithal were a bottle of wine, I would say it gives me hints of Lenny Kravitz, Guns and Roses, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. But overall the robust flavor is fully its own, driving and unique.

"All I Need," the opening track, declares "you're all I need in this life of mine," and brother Shelton talks about "rolling sevens with an attitude" like he's digging the gamble, even if it means life on the very edge.

"W.D.Y.T.A.M?" – what do you think about me? – a great text-message pickup acronym, brings out Handley's percussion chops. "Can I Get More Outta Here" follows with a lament about walking around too low to the ground, but then things start getting funkdafied with "Tues."

Bassist Shelton commences "Tues" with a hooky lick, and before long the whole band is in on the getdown, probably my favorite track. "Broken Glass" has a powerful sort of Soundgarden refrain, that – as the title implies – can cut you if you step on it. "Hope" brings you back up the rollercoaster, then "Leaving Me" riffs out with a worry about being on your own again.

The last three tracks, "Unwelcome," "Phone Song," and "Wasted Over You," feature really muscular bass and drum work that recall some roots of Ms. Shelton and Mr. Handley when they were first busting out in the Primus-influenced band Phantasmagoria, way back in the 90s.

"Wasted Over You" is a perfect way to end the CD: "I never learn until I take it too far," says Velvet Freeze, musical mentors. Pick up Wearwithal and take it too far, it's well worth the lessons.

You can listen to Wearwithal online at http://www.mp3tunes.com/VelvetFreeze, and order the CD from cdbaby.com. Velvet Freeze also puts their latest mixes on their myspace site, at www.MySpace.com/velvetfreeze.

Copyright 2007 Metropolitan Community College