Power13

The first track of Soon leaves the listener guessing as to what Power13 is up to ("Didn't Mean To..." is one minute and 26 seconds of Power13's singer, Paul Manousos, chanting the title phrase enigmatically over some woozy keyboards), but track two leaves no doubt as to what the band has up its sleeve. "Blind" is a hard-rocking modern guitar rock track with a heavy blues influence from Ari Bloom's jagged leads and Manousos belting his heart out in an impassioned John Hiatt/Tom Petty style. He also has a touch of Van Morrison and a bit of a Mick Jagger sneer. The rest of the disc pretty much follows suit, with tracks that sound like the Counting Crows ("M-I-s-e-r-y"), Tom Petty ("Now You're Gone," "Soon"), and the Wallflowers ("The Last Time"). Sure it is derivative, but it is also crisply played and well-recorded. The band plays it simple and stripped-down, all except for Bloom and his AOR-ready guitar solos, which sound a little out of place but are bound to bring feelings of nostalgia for fans of '70s classic rock. Power13 has made a solid debut record that could propel them to the upper ranks of the classic rock revivalists they so obviously aspire to join. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide