A one-man band with a full sound

by Jim Trageser
This review first appeared in the May 3, 2007 issue of the North County Times.

The project of Oceanside's Collyn Pankratz, this one-man band has a sound that is more full, polished and inspired than most fleshed-out bands will ever achieve. An utterly confident singer with the ability to write smart, memorable melodies and play them on a variety of instruments, Pankratz wouldn't appear to need a band in order to make a standout album.

Plugged into a not-too-edgy alt-rock and pop hybrid, and with a garage-band feel to the production, there's a definite contrast between the accessible melodies and the rough-at-the-edges arrangements and recording quality. Yet it all comes off as charming, more gruff than tough. The 10-song CD seems more a demo for record company suits than polished, final product – but those songs are catchy enough, Pankratz's singing strong enough, to makes this a disc worth having.