Jim, with the help of his band Waxburn has managed to impress me once again. They delve into an almost punk-like (old school, not modern neo-pop punk) vibe on "I Wanna Say" and "Don't Talk", while "Hey Hey" is pop rock wonderment! Anything that can get my waist wiggling and head bobbing while suffering through my workload is a damn pleasure! Such can also be said for "Making My Day" and "Look Up". "Found it" and "The Optimist" have a popish Counting Crows/Collective Soul edge while "Something is Coming" and "Price You Pay" are lilting yet tough and beautiful. A great rock record to add to your CD collection.

Vocalist/guitarist Jim Camacho was once part of The Goods, a Miami band that dominated South Florida's pop scene for much of the 1990s (even attracting the attention of legendary Allman Brothers producer Tom Dowd). Camacho's new band, Waxburn, continues in the same vein on its debut CD, Hey Hey (Capsule Records) -- albeit with more rock power and less pop trimmings. Camacho's blend of screams and crystalline vocal tones on the opening I Wanna Say is echoed by lead guitarist Andrew Synowiec's distortion and the rhythmic urgency of bassist Tony Oms and drummer Jordan Welch. The bandleader's acoustic guitar dictates the melody of less manic material like The Train and the waltzing Something Is Coming, but the bulk of Hey Hey sounds as influenced by The Who as by The Beatles. The title track, Making My Day (Pretty), and Found It combine the influences of Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, and The Pretenders, punctuating the point Camacho made with The Goods a decade ago. The difference is that Waxburn puts the "pow" in power pop. (www.jimcamacho.com).

BEST SONGWRITER Miami New Times Camacho has been on the Miami scene for more than a decade, first as one of the voices behind the Goods, and more recently fronting his own band. He wears his allegiance to melody (Beatles comparisons are inevitable) on his sleeve, and while the Goods' songwriting prowess fluctuated, Camacho's solo work keeps getting better. His 2001 release Trouble Doll featured Big Star-style power pop. An upcoming full-length raises the ante with an early-Replacements feel just gritty enough to offset some of the pop shimmer.