This five-piece hails from (you guessed it) United States' west coast, and consists of founding members (as well as co-songwriters and producers) Neal Hedegard and Roger Nigg (Guitars and Drums, respectively), and the complementary talents of Chris Kokesh (Keys), Alan Smithey (bass), and Richard Pavelec (Vocals). Worlds of Mystery, entirely self-produced and released independently, is the California band's first release (I believe) and demonstrates an upbeat, driving art rock style. As I could not find much info on the outfit's history, I'll wait no longer to dive right into the tracks.

"Earthquake" starts the album on somewhat ... forgive me here ... "shaky" ground. Probably the worst track on the album, the song's forced-rhyme chorus, ho-hum chord progression, and questionable subject matter (yeah, we get the fact that you're from California) make this a poor choice for an opener. Still, it ends with a rewarding guitar solo and hints at what the band is capable of from a melody standpoint. Nevertheless, I was glad it got better from here. "On the Prowl" continues on much the same path as track one, but steps it up a level with more intriguing song-writing. Musically, this one offers a bit more, and vocally, Pavelec is given a bit more room to work. At just four minutes, this one helps the album build some momentum. This is where "You" comes in. While the tone may be brought down a level by its very nature as a ballad, song quality hits an album high. This six-minute beauty is an AOR gem, laden with acoustic guitars, a charming background synth, and wonderfully executed vocal melodies. Maybe it's hypocritical, but whereas I have a tough time buying into the premise of "Earthquake", a song like this had me convinced right from the go. Even the outro after the phantom ending of the song, something I might normally see as superfluous, won me over in this case. Perfect.

And the level does not falter a bit on "Moment of Truth", the album's fourth track. After a bit of a slow start, the song breaks out with another very memorable chorus. The song's vocals seem marked by a deep, Seattle-rock style, giving an unexpected twist to the album. Good stuff. "Do You In" follows inconspicuously, containing a cool instrumental section in the middle, and little else. Not particularly unpleasant in any way, but just one of those songs that never "did it" for me. On the other hand, the next track, "Shadows", almost inexplicably captivates me. A light and airy hard rock piece with some passionate guitar playing, and a really beguiling (if repetitive) chorus that is just downright haunting and cool. Another great track.

The album's first instrumental track, "Evening in Montreux", comes next. Some jazz/fusion elements shine through on this one, which really showcases Left Coast's musicianship and compositional skills. A beautiful piece with even a touch of New Age grace. This leads to the album's shortest track, "No Turning Back". Fiery guitar solos are the highlight here, as the song, itself, is really not all that substantial. "Spanish Lover" proceeds, with a Santana-like Latin groove that injects another shot of freshness into the album. A neat track with interesting use of indigenous percussion and more great guitar work, though probably not what I'd call one of my favorites. The album closes with two more tracks that are in line with the rest of the album. "Rainmaker", the more pedestrian of the two, almost warrants no comment, although after its laborious 90-second intro it does unfold into a perfectly acceptable hard rock tune. "Dancing on Crystal" closes the album in more meaningful fashion. It makes the second instrumental on the disc, and is another grand one. Not flamboyant and flashy, perhaps, but very far from simple background music. Reminds me a bit of Sonus Umbra's "Doppelganger" (one of my favorite instrumentals of all-time), in that regard -- a vibrant, striking piece.

Final verdict? Well, while the album may possess a few uninspired moments here and there, and some less than insightful lyrics in various places, there's really a lot to love on Worlds of Mystery. Heartfelt vocals, precision playing, and wondrous melodies all meet to make for an impressive introduction to the music of Left Coast. Fans of song-oriented prog rock should check this one out.

-Matthew A Rink (progpages.com senior reviewer)

Rating: B / 8.5