White Crosses

'White Crosses' is as powerful and as bold a rock record as one can imagine. The band ­ roars like fighter jets screaming over a stadium on the anthemic title-track (with its shout along line about smashing the 4,000 crosses on a local church's lawn, ones that signify the number of babies aborted each day in the U.S.). Joining that is the escapist fury of 'Spanish Moss,' and the short stick of dynamite, 'Rapid Decompression.' 'New Wave' eschewed some of the roughness of the band's earlier efforts, but 'White Crosses' goes even further in filling out the band's wallop. With its twinkling piano and a glorious whoa-oa chorus, 'Because Of The Shame' could be an outtake from Bruce Springsteen's classic 'Born To Run.' 'Ache With Me' is a slow-jam that would make Paul Westerberg blush, while 'High Pressure Low' is Billy Idol meets fellow Gainesville native Tom Petty. 'This is my Florida record,' says Gabel. 'I spent a lot of time writing this record while driving directionless on forgotten Florida state roads, highly caffeinated, with albums like [Petty's] 'Full Moon Fever' blasting on my stereo.'