***1/2 The Wellwater Conspiracy

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

(Third Gear)

Before Soundgarden split up earlier this year, they seemed bent on reaching back to grunge's '70s metal roots. So it makes a kind of sense to find the Seattle band's rhythm section -- bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron -- digging still further into the past on their debut as the Wellwater Conspiracy. Along with Monster Magnet guitarist John McBain, they've put together what amounts to a 14-track encyclopedia of mid-'60s garage psychedelia, focusing their collective third eye on artists like the Chocolate Watchband and Syd Barrett. But Declaration of Conformity is more than a stylistic departure for the rhythm section: Shepherd moves from bass to lead vocals on "Declaration," and Cameron's instrumental credits include mini-Moog, acoustic guitar, and a nimble, session-era Jimmy Page solo on "Lucy Leave." Overall, it sounds like the most fun these guys have had in years.

-- Jonathan Perry