California quartet Moonpools & Caterpillars teamed with producer Richard Gottehrer (the Go-Go\'s) for their 1995 debut. Lead singer Kim Ward Encarnacion vocally resembles the Cranberries\' Dolores O\'Riordan. The songs range from the sweet power pop of \"Ren,\" which has a light, jazz-inflected bridge, to the kinetic drive and drumming of \"Colossal Youth,\" to the tribal beat and chants that underpin the breezy \"Sundays.\" The stand-out tracks, though, are the grinding, yearning gem \"Soon,\" which shifts into chiming guitars and features Encarnacion\'s most passionate vocals, and the lovely midtempo ballad \"Heaven.\" Moonpools & Caterpillars have offered an album full of winning melodies whose only flaw is a lack of standout hooks.