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I’ll try to keep this brief…Put the top down, set the cruise control & hit the open road with Mister Neutron’s newest CD - Nor’easter. Here are my favorite picks and my thoughts on the latest Mister Neutron arrival…

Nor’easter opens with an acoustic duet by Damien Fanelli and guest Mike Caro performing The Big Island. This is an amazingly beautiful piece that shows off the depth of creativity of the composer. Thank you for breaking out of the Jersey barriers that so many seem to want to put around surf bands today.  I could definitely get used to this new type of composition from Damien. Mike Caro also makes an appearance on Vlad The Impaler adding an eerie sounding organ to the surf cocktail.

The Big Island is followed by the hard hitting title song, Nor’easter. Like its namesake, this storm builds slowly then hits you with a powerful guitar playing that knocks you off your feet. The pace at which Damien, Drew & Tony play never lets up. They play faster, faster…then it abruptly drops off as though it never happened. It’ll take you a while to dig out from the storm surge.

Completely different is Point Pleasant which has heavy bass lines and a sultry twang that takes your breath away as it slowly dissolves into a quiet sunset. Grab your honey and dance on the sand to this one. But don’t get too comfortable as this is quickly followed by Stratosphere or should I saw Stratos-FEAR. WOW! There are a couple of covers, including Mambo Italiano. Has another surf band covered this before? Not to my recollection. Just try to sit still when this comes on, it’ll be impossible. The campy and yet swinging’ conversation between the guitar, bass, drums and percussion is unmistakable.

Neutron Summer is quickly becoming one of my favorite summer time tunes It’s reminiscent of the trad sounds of decades past with just enough of a drum line to kick it up to the 21^st century. Mister Neutron’s West Coast tour is clearly reflected on Nor’easter when you hear Big Sur Prize, which is no surprise as it’s another rocking original. Sea Girt Agent Man opens with some seriously deep dark bass and it stays put all though the next 3 mins. Added to the recipe again is the guest Farfisa which builds the song to such nice heights.

For you west coasters Nor’easter is named for the winds that blow in from the northeast and drive storms up the east coast. They are fierce, brutal and can come in with unexpected speed. A truly powerful Nor'easter can bring your life to a standstill and makes it nearly impossible to get anywhere for days. This CD lives up to it’s name