Tugging at Heartstrings : Lousy Little Gods: “Lousy Little Gods”; OceanRock ** 1/2

“Old lovers and heartaches, they don’t die easy--I know that for a fact.”

That lyric from “Warm October Night,” a song on Lousy Little Gods’ self-titled debut album, aptly sums up the theme of the whole eight-song collection, a trim, promising and fearless examination of the perils and rewards of succumbing to emotional needs.

The 4-year-old band from Huntington Beach (now a quintet, with the recent addition of ex-Al Yankovic drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz) features singer Randy Davis, whose hearty, grainy delivery is particularly striking during the bluesy ballad “Speaks a Little Spanish.”

During the loss-of-innocence number “When Do I Lose,” Davis’ intense vocal quaver joins with Rick Weller’s melancholy guitar licks to tug at the heartstrings.

Acoustically and electrically, Lousy Little Gods cover a rootsy terrain of Southern-spiced rock and blues with occasional splashes of folk and Latin music. Adding further flavor and texture to this CD are strong yet supple rhythms from conga player Matthew Spencer and the fusion-like fretwork of guest guitarist Mick Phalen.

But there’s a little too much Duane Allman here, Hootie and the Blowfish there. The group needs to forge into uncharted waters and to carve out its own identity.