Boston band "Watts" came together in 1997. Guitarist, John Blout, and drummer, Jon Rutkowski, had been playing in the same band for a while when they met singer, Dan Kopko. The three were also aware of area bass player, Ron Chane. When they decided to form "Watts," they asked him to join. They cite influences such as "The Beatles," "The Kinks," "Elvis Costello," "The Clash," "David Bowie," "Kiss" and "Sonic Youth." With Kopko's slightly raspy voice, their sound seems closest to "The Kinks," and "Elvis Costello" to me.

The opening track, "Way Down," harks back to punk influenced early new wave music from the late seventies. There's not much to the song, just a couple of notes, mostly from one guitar, so it sounds pretty thin. Lyrics are just as thin, "Way down/ All right/ What do ya say/ Way too low. . ." The song "Jimmy Walker" shares the same influences with "Way Down," but there's a little more to it. The early "Elvis Costello" influence is heavily present on it, but a bit of "The Knack" creeps in, so it doesn't quite meet the standard of Costello. The song observes that with success, "It's all in who you know."

Glam rock from the seventies fuels "Subterranean Kids On Heroin," one of the more impressive songs on the album. Kopko sings, "I could be like you. . ./ Suicidal, overrated, self destructive, complicated. . ." They manage to capture the energy from that genre of rock, while making a comment on the Grunge music of today. Then they go soft and acoustic on "The Breathing Of The Day." I'm not quite sure what this song is about, but the images are intense. It's a great song, even not knowing the meaning.

"Fine Young Man" is a disappointment following these last two tracks. It's heavily influenced by "T-Rex," but lacks their energy. Backing vocals remind me of "The Partridge Family." The repetition of the lyrics kills it the rest of the way. I'm not thrilled with the theme of "Someone To Beat." The voice in the song invites the beating from others because "Everyone needs someone to beat on. . ./ You can beat on me."

"Look Out My Window" marks a return to acoustic guitar, with a song in contrast with the previous one. It's about all the wonderful things he can see just by looking out his window. The simplicity of the song is engaging and uplifting. A total shift of gears brings "Black And Blue" screaming into my headphones. Frantic guitar gets it started, with vocals coming in a bit later, maintaining the pace and mood.

Drum beats launch "Sweethearts Of The Radio," a song influenced by "Elton John." It reminds me in places of "Crocodile Rock," but takes a darker twist than that song. It's about losing fame. "You" sounds to me like a soft Gene Simmons song, with "T-Rex" overlays, which turns out to be a pleasing combination. The song's theme is positive, expressing love for the "You" of the song. "You move in perfect motions/ Fluid like the ocean/ And I love makin' love to you/ I love you. . ." There's an effective rest near the end of the song, leaving the listener hanging for a moment, wanting what comes next.

"Flower" begins with acoustic guitar. Kopko sings high, giving the song a different flavor than some of the others. It's a refreshing change, making it one of the more interesting songs on the album. "You Got Something" is a traditional rocker, but a good one. Slightly quirky backing vocals give the song an interesting twist, carrying it to a new level.

"Watts" need to do a bit of maturing as a band. Things are starting to gel, but many of the songs seem too much like mergings of the bands that influence them. The sound that will be "Watts" in the future shows itself often, particularly on songs like "The Breathing of the Day" and "Flower." I hope to hear that promise fulfilled on their next album.