A Funky Gem
Anthony J. Oros | Park City, UT | 04/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This eponymous debut on Island Records is a groove-heavy album, full of ear candy. Vocalist Johnny Edwards, fresh off his fill-in stint with Foreigner shines in Robert Plant-esque wails, dropping us pseudo-Zen lyrical treats. Dan Steigerwald's guitars are tastily more funk than hard rock, and compliment the loop-drenched, laid back grooves of drummer Jeff Klaven and bassist Dave Seaton. Klaven's pocket is undeniable, especially on the slow, sexy "House" while "Man" grooves so much it hurts.
The compositional hooks are subtle, as Edwards towed the line of the day (90's) and stuck to one-word titles (sometimes when other, more obvious hooks were available for the taking), but the overall effect is uplifting on songs like "Generator" and "Bluebirds".
A must for fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin or fellow hard rock underdogs Badlands and King's X."