Mark Bacino "Million Dollar Milkshake!"

I made the mistake of drinking a cup of coffee before listening to The Million Dollar Milkshake, and now I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight! I really do think that someone should notify the FDA about the Million Dollar Milkshake, because after one listen, I was bouncing off the walls, grinning from ear to ear, and on such a high that I felt like I'd just taken some...well, you know, stuff. And there's never been any primo pop on the market like this in decades. Posies? Jellyfish? Man, those guys have nothing on Mr. Bacino! He makes Eric Carmen look like Alice Cooper, too...that is how sharp Bacino's pop sweet tooth is!

As silly as the above paragraph may seem, I really can't think of any better way of describing Bacino's music. I have yet to hear any other record this year that even has half of The Million Dollar Milkshake's pop power. Of course, every bit of Bacino's album screams happy fun bubblegum pop; from the really cute drawing of a teenage couple drinking a big milkshake to the picture of Bacino's smiling mug on the back, you know you're gonna have a real good time. And what's wrong with that? We need to have a good time every now and then, and the half-hour pleasure of The Million Dollar Milkshake is one heck of a good time! "Good clean fun" never sounded this good!

From the opening "Bubblegum Factory," and "Want You Around," you know that you are not going to sit this dance out. Bacino and his big band of cheery popsters are tight, and there's not a single sour note in this sweet shop. And it's not all guitars and drums, either! He's got a pop orchestra, featuring strings, brass, pianos and percussion all around him, as well as his "non-dairy crooners" who back him up as well, making his pop concoctions quite lush and dreamy. Personally, I'm quite fond of "Milkshake Bossanova," "Rockin' Mood," and "Sunny Day," though I feel wrong in picking just one or two favorites--all of these songs are equally great! The Million Dollar Milkshake is a strong album that really, truly is a pleasure. That's the best word for this album: pleasure. Ignore this one at your own peril, folks.

--Joseph Kyle