Confessions of a White Owl: Vocalist/guitarist Peter Trappen has led the area retro act the White Owls since the 1980s, with the conceptual 1960s rock band featuring a who's who in Palm Beach County musicians. So Trappen has applied all he's learned musically and conceptually to his new thematic solo CD, Frequent Sea, proving that the concept album didn't end with the 1970s work of The Who, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd. Trappen's pop musicianship is strong throughout the CD, and his versatility overshadows its only weakness - programmed drums. As for the concept, he says he's already had interest in a screen version of Frequent Sea (available through www.umpteen.com/ petertrappen).

What he has done is given an insight to an imaginary couple, their lives together, and the paths they follow. Sometimes life does imitate art and the stories we concoct have some reflection of ourselves in them. We create from what we know, our own lives and how we live them. This ensemble of songs could easily be the soundtrack for theatre, with each song setting the mood for the next.

Trappen pulls off the trick of making his material sound familiar, without sounding stale. If he's got another one inside of him I'd like to hear it. While the influences are fairly obvious on some tracks, however, they are not slavish imitations. And while Trappen's vocals are somewhat indistinguishable, his guitar lines are up to the material. Trappen has a fine sense of what he is capable of, and what exceeds his grasp. He challenges himself, but knows when to say when. When Trappen says on the jacket that FREQUENT SEA is guaranteed to withstand repeated listening, he does so with the knowledge no one is going to ask for their money back. There's nothing jarring or unpleasant here at all, and it's fun to play "Spot the Influence." There are interesting surprises here and there, like the use of vibes on "Voodoo Woman" and the sampling of NASA transmissions on "The Tower of Babylon," ala The Byrds' "Lear Jet."

Frequent Sea is a labor of love, written, programmed, performed and produced by Peter Trappen. (co-produced by Georgina Trappen). The love he put in shows, particularly in his guitar work and the passion he puts into it. I also really like the ‘storyline’ laid out in the liner notes, it makes all the songs work together in a way, even though not in a way he intended at first. This is a record of upbeat rocking songs and some tender ballads, with arrangements more interesting than your average verse chorus verse. For me it’s the upbeat rockers that really shine the most. My favorites are “Roll The Dice” and “Rainbow Child” These songs really show off Trappen’s passionate and oh so tuneful guitar playing. He has a very impressive style and great tones thoughout. I would love to put this on at a party to get things rocking, and then let it take us on its ride. This is a well done CD with solid songwriting, interesting arrangements and great guitar performances.