Albert Castiglia is a Florida-based guitar player and blues-rock singer who, on this CD, shows a lot of promise. When he is good, he is very good. For example, his opening song -- "Bad Year Blues," which he wrote -- showcases his talent very well. The playing is strong and confident, the vocals strong and supple, and the writing is right up there, too. You hear it and you think, all right, we're in good company here.

A few songs, later, though, you begin to wonder why your attention is drifting. The original material weakens and the centerpiece of the album is a trio of covers, "Night Time is the Right Time," Bob Dylan's "Catfish" and the standard "Need Your Love So Bad." In truth, while Castiglia does a respectable job with them and while they might go over well in the bars and clubs he plays, he does not bring anything very new to them.

In all, you come away from the CD feeling that you've been spending time with a promising talent whose promise hasn't exactly been fulfilled yet.

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