Welbilt

Friday, December 5, 2003; Page WE08
WELBILT "A Beautiful Mess" Independent

Welbilt's name is far more descriptive of its debut CD than "A Beautiful Mess," the title the Fairfax-based rock quartet finally chose. With singer-songwriter and guitarist Nate Ihara at the helm and Godsmack producer Andre "Mudrock" Murdock behind the board, the group has turned out a consistently sturdy and occasionally inspired collection of anthemic ballads and full-bore rockers. In the process, Hard Rock Cafe's choice last year for "The Best Unsigned Band in America" delivers on its promise.


"Mess" does apply to one thing here, though: the tangle of emotions and questions that often spark Ihara's impressive songwriting and convincing vocals. Whether he views composing lyrics as a means of sorting things out is anyone's guess, but he certainly leaves that impression on "Everything's Alright," "All I've Ever Tasted" and other songs that resonate with unresolved issues. The good news is that unlike many lyricists who bare their souls in public, Ihara is too talented a rock tunesmith to leave listeners feeling queasy.
He has plenty of help, too. "A Beautiful Mess" is sonically vibrant, laced with electric/acoustic guitar textures and equipped with more than enough rhythmic punch to keep Ihara's romantic bent from getting the best of him. A lot of credit for that has to go to guitarist Buddy Speir, bassist Nick Briscoe and drummer Bill Ledbetter.
-- Mike Joyce
- Washington Post –December 5, 2003