Seven Mary Three emerged in the mid-90s with “Cumbersome,” an unexpected and clunky grunge rock hit that felt like a parody of the era’s most over-sincere qualities. Few looked past the single and the group was unfairly maligned as just another band jumping on the Pearl Jam bandwagon. In his most extreme moments, singer Jason Ross does caterwaul like Eddie Vedder, but over the years Ross has gained perspective and in 2008 sounds much more like a seasoned alt-country heartland rocker with his share of truth to share. The band has never faltered and while their songwriting has taken years to mature to a consistent level there are plenty of worthwhile tunes sprinkled throughout their catalog. Here, “Hammer and a Stone” purrs with confidence. “Strangely at Home Here” is a back porch ballad. “Last Kiss” and “Laughing Out Loud” are consistently strong hard rockers, and “Break the Spell” marches with authority. Their traditional classic rock approach matched with their tough guitar tones make them a darker alternative to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Whether they’ll ever receive critical respect remains to be seen. But it won’t be from lack of trying.