A jangly guitar band that was greatly influenced by the Byrds’ harmonies but had tougher lyrics, the Gear Daddies attracted some attention in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Let’s Go Scare Al, one of their best albums, is a fine representation of their attractive, melodic sound and above-average lyrics, which are often clever and humorous in a world-weary way. Especially thought-provoking is “Statue of Jesus,” which finds a man questioning whether or not religion is really making life’s difficulties any easier. Meanwhile, the Gear Daddies are content to simply be funny on “Drank So Much (Just Feel Stupid).” Country is an obvious influence on the folk-rockers (as it was on the Byrds), and they don’t hesitate to employ touches of the Nashville sound on twangy cuts like “She’s Happy,” “Heavy Metal Boyz” and the lonely “Strength.” Fans of this type of music owe it to themselves to search for this CD. – Alex Henderson