by Denise SullivanChamber Strings is the creation of Kevin Junior -- a songwriter with plenty of indie and Euro rock credentials, and the distinction of having been the last collaborator with ex-Swell Map, Epic Soundtracks, before Soundtrack's death in 1997. By hybridizing Memphis soul and glam rock, you could call Chamber Strings one gigantic homage to the Faces and the Stones, but Junior's fey vocals separate his band from becoming the next best thing since the early Black Crowes. "Dead Man's Poise" is all boogie swagger; there's a spirited drinking song, "Telegram," and the gothic '60s/Doors/Love sound of "The Race is On." "Cold Cold Meltdown" relies on the Stax sound Big Star once appropriated. The derivative Chamber Strings are full of unique contradictions: the band is whiskey-fueled yet fragile and Junior's wispy approach packs a serious rock and roll punch.