LINKS NEWS NEWS Etc. next previous  Dennis Diken has to be one of the best kept secrets in rock ‘n’ roll. As stickman for the Smithereens, who recently celebrated their 30th anniversary, Diken's most recent vocal exposure has been on The Smithereens’ cover of The Who’s Tommy. He had the undesirable job of trying to replicate Roger Daltrey’s searing, and emotional vocals on most of the songs - and he aced it! Dennis says in the press kit, “Please don’t call this a ’solo’ album." This music was hatched by two musically like-minded guys: Fellow Jerseyan Pete Dibella collaborated with Dennis to bring these 13 songs to fruition, which also include appearances by The Wondermints, Andy Paley, and The Honeys (the almost forgotten all-girl 60's surf group that featured Brian Wilson's wife, Marilyn.) No wonder I was getting a strong Beach Boys vibe from this disc! The aforementioned artists were instrumental in The Beach Boys sound back in the 60’s and as well as more recent times. On Late Music Dennis sounds like he’s having a great time, and it shows! He said that he’s been writing songs since he was a kid of about five or six years old. Now, I know a LOT of people could probably make that claim, but on Late Music you can pretty much draw a linear, hip musical timeline from the opening cut, “The Sun’s Gonna Shine in the Morning.” If Pat Dinizo had opted to write more cool, upbeat working-on-a-sunny day tunes, instead of his classic, I-hate-myself-for-loving-you sizzling rockers, this could be a classic Smithereens tune. It's like finding a long-lost Beach Boys, fun-in-the sun holy grail! The closer, “Tell All The Fools,” is a Beach Boys--meets-The Association mid-tempo house rocker that Dennis and the assorted musicians deliver with a shirt-sleeved rolled up work ethic. The interplay of the voices and the instruments creates rhythmic balance and a beautiful dynamic. “Long Lonely Ride,” an ode to hotrods and B-movies, is like a Jan & Dean semi-epic, “Deadman’s Curve” ain't got nothin’ on this baby! Dang! “Let Your Loved One Sleep” sounds like a crisply torn page out of The 1910 Fruitgum Co’s songbook. Nostalgic embellishments are rampant with indelible harmonies, but that’s part of the magic and charm of Late Music. Dennis Diken and the band’s lack of pretension (in fact, there isn’t any sign of it whatsoever), and the way they honor their influences is what makes this album fresh and inspirational. It’s like they’re painting a picture from memory, but their also adding current influences as well!