Since 'Help!' first led unwary adolescents to believe the Beatles all slept in a row of sunken beds, rock groups have been seen as autonomous, self-contained families. While that conception has been extended to include amorphous clusters of musicians guided by a central creative force – more like a franchise than a family – there is still no structural precedent for the Vulgar Boatmen.

The group's two pilots – singing guitarists Robert Ray and Dale Lawrence – reside in Gainesville, Florida, and Indianapolis, respectively. They rarely perform together, co-writing songs by exchanging cassettes and contributing separately to the recording process. Each leads a lodge of local musicians, calling on members for live or studio work according to need and availability. A loose organization with two distant nuclei promises stylistic chaos, but Please Panic delivers exactly the opposite. The album could not be more focused or consistent; in tone and content it seems guided by a single artistic vision. While a few songs rhythmically suggest the chugging languor of the Grateful Dead, the Boatmen's gently intense guitar pop most often sounds like a country cousin to the Feelies.

More precise and polished than the Boatmen's highly praised debut (You and Your Sister, 1990), Please Panic is a translucent collection of eloquent beauty and delicate vigor. Spartan arrangements give it a subtle allure. A few chords, near-subliminal bass and an austere backbeat – plus occasional viola or organ accents – paint the unprepossessing melodies in muted hues with strong, straight lines. Behind the clear, artless vocals, each carefully chosen note is essential. Please Panic works its considerable power with studied simplicity; songs tick like clockwork but pulse with strength.

The emotional depths suggested in elusive lyrics about unresolved relationships – "We Can Figure This Out," "Fool Me," "You Don't Love Me Yet," "I'm Not Stuck on You," "Alison Says" – are illuminated by flickers of melancholy and quiet obsession; numbers expressing a more positive view ("You're the One," "There's a Family") don't erase the uncertainty from the music. In these adult songs, life's complexities are evoked only by allusion. Please Panic is a rich, rewarding album that involves the listener by leaving so much unsaid.

Please Panic is available from Safe House, P.O. Box 349, West Lebanon, NH 03784. (RS 631)

IRA ROBBINS