Victoria Ghosttown Rating: 3.5/5 For fans of: Old rock ‘n’ roll, embracing non-whiny independent rock artists Tracks to download: “Always Be,” “Blue” Click play below to hear a sample from the album:

Educating yourself in the local music scene is always fun, especially when the bands are more than decent, the music is wildly accessible, and it is actually possible that your psychology TA is a member of said bands. You may know them as the kick-ass band that dominated Battle of the Bands last year, or the energetic trio that opened for Ben Kweller at the Gargoyle last semester, but then St. Louis group Victoria is definitely worth a listen (and actually includes a member that is a Wash. U. psychology graduate student). Victoria is a “band of twenty-somethings,” three guys claiming to be “something simple, something true.”

Their new album “Ghosttown” undoubtedly reflects just that: Victoria goes back to classic rock ‘n’ roll. Not Led Zeppelin, not Jimi Hendrix but the originals. The clear influence of rock is reflected in deep guitar riffs, drum accents and backbeats and, remarkably, blues rhythms.

In the opening track, “Always Be,” Victoria full-fledgedly introduces us to the album by asking us to “come on and take a ride” with them. The rhythm is repetitive yet catchy with the lyrics that accompany it: “You’ll be free/See some things you’ve never seen.” The track establishes a relationship with the listener, as Victoria advocates an active connection between the music and the listener. On the band’s MySpace page, they write, “When you hear us, we want you to feel as free as we are when we play.” “Always Be” establishes that emotional connection with the listener, as they sing “You are my everything/in every way/it will always be.” They are speaking of the music’s relationship to them as the band, and to you, the music devotee.

The rock influence is undeniable in the second track, “Blue.” Right off the bat, the increased percussive involvement, and the Billy Preston/Chuck Berry/Elvis Presley vocal rhythm are apparent. “Holy Roller Derby” also reflects more of a rock feel, as the entire last section of the track is all intense and intricate guitar playing.

The last track, “Thunder,” is both the climax and dénouement of the album: The drum begins unhurriedly in a melodic striptease, the guitar soon involves itself in the melody and then progressively becomes overpowering. Analogous to a thunderstorm, it winds down at the end of the track, concluding the album with a literal and figurative crash.

Though “Ghosttown” is a mere seven track collection, Victoria undoubtedly rebels against the conventional and goes back to the roots of rock, adding simple twists along the way.

Their site reads: “We have tremendous respect for our heroes of the past and present, and from them we gleam the courage to show you what is in our hearts.” While the tracks can be overpowering in the way that the energy spills out repetitively in the melody, Victoria is well on their way to defying the mistaken view that St. Louis has no “scene” and helping us to break that na’veté one scene-ster at a time.

The album will be released officially on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. at The Bluebird. Victoria will perform, along with The Hibernauts, Berlin Whale and Jumbling Towers.

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