COUNTRY IN A CORNER

With its exceptional debut LP three years ago, Big Country promised to be a truly special band. But the quartet has reneged on the deal, demonstrating virtually zero growth. The group’s new record, “The Seer,” closely resembles its predecessor--itself a disappointing rewrite of the first album.

Big Country’s show at the Hollywood Palladium Friday confirmed that the band has painted itself into an artistic corner. On the plus side, the foursome has overcome the problem of slow starts on stage. And the lads’ signature twin-guitar fury, topped by Stuart Adamson’s anguished, heartfelt vocals did reach some glorious peaks.

But even those peaks reflected a formulaic approach. Worse, when the Scottish-English outfit deviated from the formula, the momentum and impact dropped considerably. Clearly, Big Country is stuck between rock and a hard place. It’s still a solid, often invigorating band, but all the disappointments cut deeper because it coulda--and shoulda --been a contender.