Fort Wayne’s The Kickbacks worship at the altar of ’90s alt rock. 

If you grew up in The Fort listening to The Edge 96.3-FM during the Clinton years, then TKB will tickle those nostalgia buttons in a big way. Bands like Everclear, Semisonic, Fuel, and Stone Temple Pilots waver just in the background of this trio’s guitar-heavy sound. One minute, it’s chugging guitars and metal-ish drums, the next, it’s pop hooks and melody-heavy choruses as the name of the game.

WTKB FM plays out like a satellite feed from some alternate reality where your radio dial is consumed by our Fort Wayne rock fellas. Big riffs and pop touches are interspersed with fake commercials to make for an engaging and sprawling hour-plus listen. 

“Alone” opens things up with radio static that leads into Everclear-esque guitar rockery, complete with more “woahs” than you can shake a stick at. “Like a Dog” has a driving rhythm section and a nod to “Hit the Road Jack” before big guitars and barking “woofs” give us something in between Candlebox and Fuel. “This Too Shall Pass” brings to the table some AC/DC riffage with a melodic vocal delivery. “Falter” is balladry done right. The guitar melody brings to mind Love’s “Alone Again Or,” via The Damned. But then the song locks into some post-grunge riffage. 

Elsewhere, “Mind Games” is not a John Lennon cover but a gasoline-fueled rocker, while “My Hero” is pure pop-inflected ’90s rock. 

Interspersed throughout the album are ads, as if you were on a road trip. Some are fun and some are goofy, but all go to make WTKB FM a concept album whose concept is that of a late-night drive through the Midwest, and The Kickbacks are our burnt out, slightly drunk DJ. 

WTKB FM is The Kickbacks having fun and rocking out in one fail swoop. Airing ’90s rockers with a modern flavor, WTKB FM is the voice on the radio dial telling you one more shot and one more beer never hurt anybody.