Welcome To Maple Mars opens with the spoof live show sound of the title track. Strong, hooky, loud, spacey, with vocals on vocals. It's powerful stuff. Thereafter the album occasionally slips into the Pet Sounds-DIY netherland that has already been (and continues to be) well charted by plebt of other LA artists, That's not to say that it ain't fun, 'cause it is!

Ex-Double Naught Spies man Rick Hromadka, who more of less is Maple Mars, writes sway-inducing tunes and he's not afraid to let rip with some heavy duty guitar sounds - which is where his approach differs from most of the LA pack. In fact the searing noise makes the fourth track, Souvenir, a real standout. Other picks include All Brand New, with it's rumbling bass and jangling guitars, the hard-edged rocker Perfect Song, and the two tracks, Fly and Afterglow, recorded with Mr. Cloud Eleven Rick Gallego. (The bonus track is cool too.) The more I listen to the CD the more I find to like about it. Well worth shelling out for.