Black and White (1991)

There's nothing flamboyant or ground-breaking on this fourth album from the BoDeans — just hearty, guitar-based rock & roll, fueled by hook-ridden songwriting and achingly lovely harmonies you can feel in your bones. It's a sound well suited to the lyrics on Black and White, which, though haunted by images of loneliness and desperation, are never devoid of courage or hope. Tunes like ''Paradise,'' ''Hell of a Chance,'' and ''Going Home'' feature melodies so easily inviting you'll be tempted to sing along with vocalists-guitarists Sam Llanas and Kurt Neumann. But the soulful blend of their voices — layered over instrumental arrangements that are at once tough and tender — has a wistful resonance that's probably best enjoyed in silence. A

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