Milan Polak perhaps best known to readers of Virtuosity One as the artist behind 2 superb instrumental releases “Dreamscapes” & “Guitar Odyssey” has taken a step towards more widespread public recognition with his debut vocal album.  Entitled “Straight”, the album is home to 13 tracks of pretty much the entire sphere of the classic rock/hard rock genre.  Backed up by a great drummer in John Macaluso and 2 fine bassists in Randy Coven and Fabio Trentini, Polak himself plays songwriter, vocalist and guitarist as well as producer. 

“Difference” kicks off proceedings with a harmonised vocal part from Milan before the tracks mid-tempo bluesy/funky riff kicks hard.  Immediately the album title becomes self explanatory as this is a very stripped down production being raw, honest, powerful and with a great live vibe (aside from the odd vocal harmony or extra guitar track), in short it is quite different to 90% of what you hear today and it has a nice “warm” classic analogue sound to it; extra marks to Milan for this.  Back to the track and it’s an exciting opener, which screams for radio-play, not overtly commercial (in an 80’s way) but when you mix a great arrangement with a great vocal performance and addictive melodies its hard not to be hooked from the start.  “Psychobitch” sees the tempo kicked up a notch for this almost punk rock track, as the title suggest the lyrics are about ladies with dubious qualities shall we say!  I imagine this track will go down a storm live and its pre-chorus is another melody treat.  The track then kicks into another gear for the pre solo riff which leads into Milan delivering one of his most fierce solos on the album – great stuff.  “Crosses” moves back to mid-tempo waters with another funky riff which is pure 70’s rock and also reminded me a little of Richie Kotzen’s more recent solo output, in short another GREAT tune.  “Hero” sees Milan break out the acoustic guitar for another strong track with a nice introspective feel, and by now you will really be starting to appreciate Milan’s vocals, which if having to place his tonality I would say its somewhere between an in-tune Ian Astbury (The Cult) with a little Ritchie Sambora, in short it’s a great warm, bluesy with a little natural distortion in it.  “Favourite Vice” is one of my favourites with a fast tempo yet manages to slow down enough to make the chorus really stand out before another delightful verse kicks your face in.  The solo here is again totally suited to the track but agonisingly too short for a six string head such as myself, I guess it follows the old adage “leave em asking for more”.  “Some Kind Of Jesus” has another heavy yet catchy as hell blues smoked riffs and is another highlight, if this doesn’t get a live crowd going nothing will.  “All I Want” is the sort of tune you would like to be on the stereo as you drive through the Nevada desert with another great vocal melody once again and nice lyrics which most people can probably relate to, the chorus has a classic 70’s vibe to it and works very well with the verse, simple said if Aerosmith or Bon Jovi had recorded this they would have a mega hit on their hands I suspect. “Superstar Mania” has another funky/rocking riff which serves as the backdrop for Milan to scream out his angst and tell it like it is against the current worldwide phenomena of “X Factor/American Idol” type shows which somehow manage to con audiences worldwide into making the next joe public the next superstar – “Come on, have you paid your dues, its takes years of blood sweat and tears till  you can play the blues. But they become like icons, and it just ain’t fair, I see 18 year old brats turn into millionaires…”, sums it up don’t you think?, another highly enjoyable track.  The title track has a relatively gentile intro turns into a rocking beast which verges on punk merged with full on hard rock with Milan once again getting his point of view out in the lyrics.  “Happy Now?” is an acoustic track for the first half before the band kicks in for a mid tempo groover, Milan’s vocals and melody lines are again king here.  “I Don’t Care” reminds me a little of Richie Kotzen era Mr Big i.e. good groove, good vocals and overall performance yet its takes a little longer to hit home than many other tracks on offer, yet ultimately rewards once again.  “Free After All” is arguably one of the heaviest tracks on the album with another monster riff, simple yet powerful and pleasing to the ear before a more melodic chorus see Milan getting a little contemplative in the lyrical department.  “The Glowing Of A Cigarette” is a mid tempo blues track that does a very nice job of closing the album, lyrically it’s a story of lost love yet with an original twist.  Guitar wise Milan delivers some simple yet soul drenched notes where the touch displayed is superb, a nice ender.

“Straight” stands a very good chance of being the 2007 Hard Rock album of the year, and for this to come from (to all extents) a newcomer to the vocal market makes it even more refreshing.  For anyone that may have heard either of Milan’s 2 previous instrumental albums then approach with "Straight" with no preconceived ideas of what to expect and you will be richly rewarded with great songs, great music and great vocals.  Nuff said, now get out there and buy it!

RATING
95%

Web Links
www.milanpolak.com
www.myspace.com/milanpolak
www.milanpolakfansite.com