Really? may begin with a gentle keyboard wash, but make no mistake: It's guitar fireworks time. The bandleader is veteran Midwest guitarist extraordinaire John Masino, and there's a decidedly 1980s/early 1990s guitar vibe - particularly on tracks like the Satriani-esque instrumental recasting of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and an inventive blues-metal take on "Born Under a Bad Sign."
Masino's originals often toe the uniquely Midwestern hard-rock line between power pop and metal, and it all adds up to a fresh and modern classic-rock record. If you know what I mean.
