Millard Powers

The demise of the Semantics, the seminal early '90s Nashville pop outfit fronted by Millard Powers and Will Owsley, was clearly a setback for both men. They spent years in touring bands for other artists (including, most notably, Amy Grant) and not releasing any material of their own, all while friend (and former band mate) Ben Folds experienced critical and commercial success. Owsley released his debut -- on a major label -- in 1999, to moderate commercial success, and still Powers remained quiet. It would be two more years -- eight years after the failed Semantics project -- before Powers would again emerge. Unlike Owsley, however, Millard Powers' self-titled solo debut did not snag a major-label deal; in fact, it was released only on the internet through www.mp3.com. Despite these humble beginnings, however, Powers' debut album sparkles with the same bright, incessantly catchy, immaculately produced rockin' pop that characterized the work of the aforementioned artists. Much like Owsley, Powers recycles one track from the Semantics project, "Jenny Won't Play Fair," but the other eight tracks are all new. They fall squarely into the Ben Folds camp -- the piano plays prominently, and Powers' style of geeky pop is equally endearing. The album is overly short -- at 28 minutes and nine songs, it's closer to an EP -- but that ensures that there's not a dud in the batch. From the neo-jazz of the opener "Pamela" right through the searing rocker "She's So Clean" and the piano boogie of "Simple Thing," there isn't a single dip in quality here. Ben Folds has said that Powers "would've been in the Five if he'd been available at the time," and given the quality of the music and performances here, there's no question that he would've fit right in. ~ Jason Damas, Rovi