by Lucky Clark, The Morning Sentinal, 1.31.03

From the tiny town of Steep Falls, Maine, comes NOW is NOW, a new band that has me typing superlatives.

The power trio (Mitch Alden, lead vocals, and guitar; Dan Paul, bass and vocals and Neil Carroll, drums and vocals) has released a nine-track debut album of original material that features gorgeous close harmonies and enough musical hooks to keep such songs as "Daydream," "Down," 29 Years," "Now," "Young Man," and "Sail Away," firmly planted in your mind.

When I review a CD, I try to listen to it at least three times before sitting down to compose a critique. I have listened to this excellend CD at least seven times and here's the skinny - NOW is NOW has its roots firmly planted in the sounds of the past. There are overtones of Boston, REO Speedwagon and all those groups from the '70's that caught your ear and your heart with their accessible, fun pop-rock.

With all the negative metal, pity-parties and aggressive-abusive stuff that passes for rock music nowadays, the enjoyable, highly harmonic music created by Mitch Alden (principal songwriter and co-producer of this project) is a refreshing change-of-pace.

Lucky Clark is a freelance writer for Scripps Howard News Service.