New Jersey has long been a fertile ground for developing rock acts. Hoboken’s Frank Sinatra, Freehold’s Bruce Springsteen, and Sayreville’s Jon Bon Jovi are all notable names that have dragged themselves out of the swamps of Jersey and into the national spotlight.

Unfortunately, that spotlight has also eluded some other talented bands coming out of New Jersey, among them, Dramarama and The Smithereens. Dramarama, a band known for its mid-80s alternative hit “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You)” broke up in the mid-90s after too many years of too-small audiences.

On the other hand, The Smithereens never gave up. Their 1986 album "Especially For You" contained no less than six songs that could have been radio hits, including “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” “Blood and Roses,” and “Strangers When We Meet.” In 1990 the released “11,” which contained their one crossover hit, “A Girl Like You.”

Flash forward to their 1995 greatest hits disc, "Blown To Smithereens," where ten years of Brit-pop and rock and roll combined to produce a phenomenal album, 16 catchy tracks that truly showcased how far this band had come in a decade.

And then, nothing. Lead singer Pat DiNizio released a moody solo album, "Songs and Sounds" in 1997. Fans of the band wondered if The Smithereens had gone the way of Dramarama.

Then, in the summer of 1998, the band reunited for a weekly series of shows at New Brunswick’s Court Tavern. At these small-club masterpieces, they played a promising mix of old and new material. This well-received series of shows were just a glimpse of what was to come. Then a few months later, I saw the band at a private club date. The new material still held its own against the greatest hits. I started to really look forward to the new album.

When I received a promo copy of God Save The Smithereens a few months ago, I was not disappointed. Not only did The Smithereens stick with the same sound that they’d developed over the years, but they also expanded their musical envelope, adding some 60’s guitar rock sounds to their mix. Shades of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Kinks permeate the disc.

The lead track, “She’s Got A Way” is a great song, ready for the radio. Unfortunately, since radio sucks these days, so this song will be ignored while the pneumatic Tittany Spears continues to take up valuable airtime. Another possibility for radio is “House At the End of the World.”

Two songs, “Everything Changes” and “All Revved Up” make you wonder if Brian Wilson is playing an uncredited backup role on this album while “The Long Loneliness” is mid-sixties Beatles at its finest. “I Believe” sounds like the Kinks by way of “Only A Memory,” only harder.

“Flowers in the Blood” and the aptly titled “Gloomy Sunday” are typical Smithereens songs--dark and brooding, with a driving guitar.

This album has been in my player for the past three months. I try to pull it out of the rotation, but whenever I do, there’s another album that gets pulled instead. So either Pat DiNizio is living in my CD player or this is just one of the best albums of the year from one of the most-underrated rock and roll bands on the planet. Last time I checked, Pat was living in Bound Brook, so I guess you have the answer.