Jerra's androgynous, or perhaps even post-op appearance, coupled with the ambiguous album title Play Like a Girl seem like a mere gimmick. Still, I figured I find out just what Jerra and "her" backing band could manage before I determined whether their shtick was merely shtick.

With the exception of two songs ("Doris Day," with its Cars-like tone and "Not There" with its sugary pop), Play Like a Girl sounds like songs recorded during the mid-`90s alternative rock explosion, plus keyboard. What you get is a batch of tunes that sound like Veruca Salt if they added synth, and no, that is not a good thing. The songs are familiar and predictable, unmoving and stale. Even Jerra's lyrics can't save the songs. Here's a quick taste:

• School is cool, when it's near the mall / Learning, ‘If I could I would buy it all'

• A glorious, marvelous, isn't it so fabulous / Ultra-grab-a-dabulous day

• You play me like you're playing poker

• I'm a sugar hooker / Hooked on sugar

What would you conclude from this lyrical fodder and rehashed sound? That's right, Jerra's shtick is merely shtick, a gimmick used to draw attention to a band that otherwise won't be gaining much.