Review by Neal Wodall (Detritus Magazine) MILAN POLAK - STRAIGHT (B+/B) Lion Music, 2007 13 tracks, RT: 52:09 Austrian guitar master Milan Polak steps away from the instrumental music he is known for to try his hand at a vocal oriented project, with good results. STRAIGHT is hard rock drawing from a variety of influences, as everything from early '70s heavy rock, punk, pop, blues, metal and alternative is thoughtfully blended into a potent brew. Milan does all the singing, his soulful, smoky vocals animating easily relatable lyrics about such things as stupidity, crazy women and the unfairness of media coverage. Milan hasn't forgotten how to play, however, and his incendiary solos can still be heard, albeit briefly, throughout STRAIGHT. I think Milan is at his best on some of the edgier material, some of my favorites being the insanely catchy "Difference," rhythmically engaging "Some Kind Of Jesus," kinetic rocker "Superstar Mania," and the classic Trower flavor of "I Don't Care." STRAIGHT sounds to me like a cross between Richie Kotzen and Lynch/Pilson, and that's a tasty mix indeed. Do yourself a favor and check out the music of this talent before he is a household name! - Neal Woodall