Black Finch Radio set the room alight on “Signal Fires”

Garage rock at this volume usually either commits or apologizes. “Signal Fires” commits. Black Finch Radio have made the kind of album that sounds like it could be replicated live without a backing track or an extra musician hidden behind the curtain.

The record opens with “Better Antenna,” a one-minute-fifty barnstormer that establishes the band's range in roughly the time it takes to order a drink. From there the album rarely lets up.

The rhythm section is the engine. The bassist is locked into the kick at a level you rarely hear outside of veteran touring acts. The drumming is loose in feel but tight in placement — the hardest combination to fake.

Vocally the lead is more sneer than croon, which is the correct call for this material. The harmonies are gang-shouted rather than carefully tuned, and the record is better for it.

Mid-album, “Four Doors Down” and “Speakers in the Lawn” offer enough melodic variety to keep the listener from going numb. “Transmitter,” the closer-before-the-closer, is the moment the band finds another gear.

Best Tracks: “Better Antenna,” “Transmitter,” “Four Doors Down.” Songwriting, performance, and production are all aligned. This is a real rock album.