Flordia’s Sobak are readying for the release of their new album A Little More Time and the world is on notice. The Sunshine State’s Anthony Sobak pushes a personal vision for modern hard rock that owes many debts to the past while still laying down a thoroughly contemporary take on the style. There isn’t a single track among the album’s ten songs that qualify as filler.
It’s the latest turn in a musical trip that’s been ongoing since Anthony Sobak was fifteen years old. A former music student at both the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Ball State University, he’s long since mastered a potent mix of physically engaging hard rock, deemed “spirit rock” by Sobak, and deeply personal lyrics unafraid to explore any topic.
He takes on romantic relationships with the album’s first cut “Donna”. It isn’t intricate poetry, but it doesn’t need to be. Sobak communicates his desire for the song’s subject with heated urgency that never lets up and the musical accompaniment more than matches the fevered intensity of Sobak’s vocal longing. The unrequited but persistent passion of “What You Mean to Me” gets a similar vocal treatment. It builds around sleek riffing and a pulverizing AOR rock sound that likewise never totally dispenses with melody.
REVERBNATION: https://www.reverbnation.com/sobak3/song/24052852-a-little-more-time
“A Little More Time” begins with the outstanding couplet “Spent my life walkin’ in circles/lookin’ for happiness and miracles” and continues following that thread for the entirety of the tune. Sobak’s acoustic guitar foundation provides everything the band needs to take off from and the accompanying electric playing fills the arrangement with added flair. “Two Souls” is another of the album’s outright love songs, but anyone expecting sappy sentiment in the track’s musical makeup will be relieved.
It’s instead an impassioned avowal of love’s satisfaction. Sobak avoids any of the trite sentiment typically weighing down such songs in favor of a clenched fist slamming down any lingering doubts. Many listeners will peg this as one of the collection’s best moments. His frequent references to heaven and spiritual concerns inform another relentless and deeply felt tune. “Together We’ll Find” is an anthem-like promise that, with his loved one by his side, they will realize life’s promises in one another’s company. The music washes over you like a blanket of high-octane energy that warms every inch of your being.
“Like Heaven’s Wings” makes for the best example yet of how well Sobak utilizes backing vocals without ever overshadowing his own singing. It’s an excellent choice for a single, as well, as it sums up all of the album’s best attributes in a concise yet cinematic musical experience. The restless longing for someone to fill in the gaps we experience in our life is the driving message behind “Help Me Be Complete”, yet the words are never saccharine. Structuring this message within such an assertive musical arrangement is more evidence of Sobak’s songwriting skills. His vision for A Little More Time is coherent and cohesive in a way few albums, regardless of genre, ever are. It’s a must-hear release for anyone who loves music that makes a personal statement.
Heather Savage
