On their first full-length after a string of impressive EP’s, CT’s Doublethink reminds us of all the good things actually worth keeping from the grunge era. Unabashedly romantic, unafraid of the big dramatic chorus, with powerful guitars, ferocious drums, and a charismatic lead singer, Doublethink serves up a tour de force collection of hard-hitting rock songs and power ballads. From throaty roar to delicate falsetto, frontman Scott Brown evokes Nineties classicists from Nirvana to Smashing Pumpkins, even invoking some fire & brimstone into the forceful “Slaves” that taps into the zeitgeist of the young Silverchair. And even though most of the lyrics here qualify as love songs, Brown turns the battle of the sexes into a martial art form, giving as well as taking relentless jabs to the heart. This is powerful stuff; crank it up, it sounds best played loud.