Simultaneously creative and talented bands in the Rock N’ Roll mold are few and far between in the modern day, but frank (in lower-case according to their website, frankband.com) do their best to dispel this belief. And well, frankly, they are on their way.

Frank’s lead guitarist and singer Scott Porter is a talent to behold. Not only can he play a guitar into screaming ecstasy, he can serenade it while looking straight into its eyes. Listen to “Let Go,” the filthiest song on their debut album, “Life By The Hour,” to appreciate Porter’s ability to keep his vocals perfectly in line with his screeching guitar. Not to be overlooked, Billy Ziff’s bass guitar skills conjure up sounds of King Bassist Victor Wooten. That’s some serious stuff. Listen to “Sit Down,” a well-aimed stab at funk from frank. Even drummer Ray Crespo, who is not asked to do too much, demonstrates ability and flair, ranging from jazzy blues in “Mother Gossip,” to the punk-flavored “Rosy.”

What’s most impressive about frank, however, is not their individual musical talent, but their lyrical prowess and musical arrangements. I personally enjoy the lyrics on “Rosy,” a reinterpretation of the popular childhood song (take a guess). Yelps Porter, “Ashes to ashes we sing, along with me now, ashes to ashes we all….fall down, fall down.” It is the perfect song to begin an album, a call to the muse of music and rock, a call to the audience to help frank carry on through the rest of the album. Other lyric-strong songs include “Mother Gossip,” and “Life By The Hour.”

The only downer may be Porter’s vocals. Somewhere between the ethereal howl of Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) and the fury of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), Porter’s vocals try failingly to discover an identity. Slower songs have his voice pushing too hard on the ears (see: “Fool”). Yet if you can listen past this small disappointment, you will hear a band that seems to be influenced by anyone from Led Zeppelin to Free, Bare Naked Ladies to Jane’s Addiction, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Eric Clapton.

All these influences do not manifest themselves in obvious recycled riffs or beats. Instead, frank creates their own sound, and with some vocal tweaking and an expanding style of music, frank could boost rock to the height at which it once belonged.