Give Bob Burger's 2007 release Surprise Party credit for crisp production. The sound of studio musicians, with their emphatic vibrato and ingrained sense of precision, permeates throughout. Yet even if the overproduced sound world of industry makes you physically ill, you have to admit that, with a track record that includes a Gold Record award for his collaborative efforts with Styx, Mr. Burger knows how to write music that sells. However, be forewarned that this record is not Prog Rock in any sense of the term. With a wailing voice that could easily rival Bon Jovi or Rod Steward, Burger's music reflects the pop ethic of so many aging rockers who insist on writing the same power hits that brought them fame throughout the 80s.

Pop musicians who reach their prime always have a hard time, and this is indicative not of a decline in the quality of songwriting but rather of the ephemeral nature of the genre. Unfortunately, nothing new can be choked out of the major or minor modes. It takes something flashy to stand out, and maturity and wisdom sadly do not exude the freshness and attitude that drive the industry. Simply stated, Bob Burger could bequeath these very songs upon a group of messy-haired youths fronted by a hectic, slightly out-of-tune vocalist and see the tracks on Surprise Party music catch on.

Excluding the lyrics and occasionally overpowering lower vocal harmony, the track "Say Hello to Goodbye" is actually a touching ballad. "Need to Bleed" is a really catchy sing-along with choice lead guitar runs and "One of Ours" musically holds interest even if it critiques war with a little too much emphasis on the same old clich?s. Overall, Mr. Burger might do better to utilize his experience as serious musicians later in their careers in other genres do: by exploring other realms of tonality somewhere out past the universe of standard pop form.