The title track leads off the 3 song offering.  “Seize The Day” is an up-tempo pop flavored rocker driven by the tight rhythm section of Ray Powers (bassist and co-founder) and Steven D. Riker (drummer). I knew the words to the chorus by song’s end, always a sign of a hit.

     “Together Tonight” was the second track.  This could easily have been a single in its own right as opposed to the B-side status it bears. The melody is extremely catchy and you can’t help but hum along.  Guitarist and co-founder, Jeff Michaels, leads the way on this with brilliant fretwork .

     The third track, “Forever”,  is listed as a bonus track.  Ironically, this is arguably the best of the three.  This time, it is lead vocalist, Jeanine Tolve who shines with an emotional delivery of sentiment, commitment and good old-fashioned boy-meets-girl, hopeless- romantic puppy love.  Rock stations throughout the state have already picked “Forever” as their choice cut, as it’s receiving airplay as we speak.  Talk of its use in an upcoming cable sitcom is also in the works.                 

     Overall, I was treated to  well-written compositions that “play for the song” instead of excess “guitar shredding” and jamming with reckless abandon.  Song time was radio-friendly, though “Forever”, flirting with the five-minute mark, could probably benefit from a three minute edit for the sake of  pop/mainstream airplay.       

 The production, (produced by Powers and Michaels), was slick yet unpretentious.  Oh, did I mention that “Forever” is  a  Billboard Songwriting Award winner?  Or that “Forever” is only one of three songs that have won the prestigious mark for Inner Soul thus far?   

       If  “Seize The Day” is just a preview of  what’s to come, then Inner Soul’s full length debut CD (tentatively titled “Amazing Grace”) should be a wild success.  

T. Carroll Baxter, freelance music writer.