POP MUSIC REVIEW : These Lemon Drops Could Use a Fresher Flavor : The British foursome’s show at the Coach House is pleasant enough but offers very little that hasn’t been done before.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO —  While it would be tough to argue that there’s too much music in the world--particularly when compared quantitatively with entertainment options such as TV infomercials or Senate hearings--it sure does seem that life’s too short to be bothered with a lot of it.

That’s pretty much where England’s Mighty Lemon Drops fall. In a less crowded world--one perhaps occupied only by Sousa marches and Wham-O Slip n’ Slides--the quartet’s low-octane power pop could seem like a pretty swell thing. Indeed, there’s nothing wrong with it, except that it sounds like a less defined version of dozens of things that have come before.

One can hear pieces of the Plimsouls, Marshall Crenshaw, Echo & the Bunnymen, R.E.M. and others in their sound. Perhaps the closest comparison is the Flamin’ Groovies’ jangling ‘70s evocations of ‘60s pop. The Lemon Drops are far more professional than the Groovies. They even sing in tune. But they also are a good deal less engaging, with little personality emerging between the chiming Rickenbacker guitar lines.

At the Coach House on Wednesday, the quartet of singer Paul Marsh, guitarist David Newton, bassist Marcus Williams and drummer Keith Rowley (aided on some songs by an unidentified keyboard player) turned in an hourlong set that was pleasant enough, but nothing to inspire one to join their fan club.

The set ranged from their early (1985-86) British hits “Like an Angel” and mildly punkish “Happy Head” to songs from their current “Sound” album. That disc is perhaps the group’s best effort, due to pop-master Andy Paley’s production and musical collaboration.

The 14-song set did boast some persuasive melodies, or ones that would have been persuasive had Marsh and Newton imbued them with more personality. Their delivery was proficient but faceless, leaving it to powerhouse drummer Rowley to flesh the songs out as best he could.

Among the songs that almost stood out were the current “Too High,” with a machine-gun lyric reminiscent of R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” the romantic devotional “In Everything You Do” from 1988, and 1989’s “Into the Heart of Love,” a strong power-pop number that hinted at what the band might yet be capable of. More often, though, they hinted at what other bands were capable of. The acoustically performed “Where Do We Go From Heaven” sounded like nothing if not the Smiths.

Local opening acts Symphonium and Tale of Trinity also have a ways to go before establishing their own musical voices. Both acts were in the post-U2 mold, with simple rhythms, atmospheric, effects-laden guitar riffs and angst-laden vocals taking the place of solid song-crafting. While each could benefit from stronger material, Symphonium did show a knack for arranging. They worked a lot of variety into their eight-song set, which concluded with an aggressive, wind-swept version of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.”