Maple Mars - Welcome To Maple Mars (Permanent Press) permanentpress.net Wide screen powerpop with a sci-fi jones, in the tradition of great 'outer space' rockers like "L5" by Fools Face and Ross' "Supersonic Spacewalk." Former Double Naught Spies dude Rick Hromadka is the protagonist - an ordinary looking guy with the magical ability to take classic influences like Electric Light Orchestra and Cheap Trick and make fresh and compelling songs with universal appeal. Joined by trusty drummer sidekick Mike Fletcher, this Maple Mars dynamic duo navigates its way through a diverse collection of excellently produced tunes. In addition to the two aforementioned influences, Maple Mars evokes scads of other favorites. That is, Maple Mars isn't copying these favorites, as much as MM shares the same characteristics (great vocals, rocking guitars, hummable melodies, etc.). In fact, here are some of the artists who came to mind during my most recent spin of this disc: Chris Von Sneidern, E'Nuff Z'Nuff, Splitsville, Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, Weezer, The Shazam, Winston Churchill, The Beatles, 10CC, The Shazam, Thurman Munson, Jason Falkner, Edmund Teller, Love Nut, Sweet and Jerry Manuel. (Please note, while listening to the disc, I was channel surfing between ESPN Classic and the History Channel, so this may have clouded a few of these evocations). What's my point? This album offers something for everyone, not because it's pandering, but because Hromadka is spectacularly talented. So talented that in a blindfolded taste test, I'd bet that Jeff Lynne would swear he wrote "I Thought I Knew You Well". And wish he wrote the lush "When Atlas Falls", with its anthemic chorus. "Perfect Song" doesn't live up to its title, but it comes pretty damn close. The soft acoustic beginning sets up the theme: "I finally wrote for you the perfect song/it's just a shame that you're not here to sing along." Hromadka's electric guitar looms behind the second couplet, before the song explodes (add The Merrymakers and Eggstone to the list two paragraphs up) into guitar heaven. The song has a hooky chorus, an even better middle eight, dynamics, cool backing vocals, nifty effects and a driving guitar solo. Other than that, there's not much to it. "Fly" is a soaring mid-tempo tune, countering the ascending melody in the chorus with an urgent guitar riff and Hromadka's best vocal - I hear bits of Tom Petty, David Gilmour and Chris Von Sneidern - a poppy voice, but with a bit of an edge. "Silver Spy Satellite" is another pretty stunner, Steve Berns playing a delicate rhythm on the drums (kind of a lunar bossa nova) while Hromadka's slide guitar work adds to the wistfulness. Meanwhile, "Souvenir" is a bopping rocker, which is a must for future Maple Mars gigs on the Planet Budokan. The contest for best debut platter of the year will be quite the battle. This is one of the major contenders.

Mike Bennett (Fufkin.com)