Reviewing an album released by a Motown influenced artist is a true pleasure for me. Even though dUg Pinnick switched early to Rock, it's obvious that old school elements have been the cornerstone for his latest work titled "Naked", which is the sixth on his solo album's list. Seeming ageless, the ex-bass player of the 80s Hard / Progressive Rock band KING'S X simply declared in the album promo video released in March: "For the first time of my life I've got to do a whole record that I get everything on. It's me, nobody says anything".

What attracts most at the first sight is the title that can make one wonder whether Pinnick is too desperate to get commercial attention. However, according to the artist, it is all about "transparence, honesty", which means from his own perspective. With a basic song structure most of the times, the eleven tracks just proved how the contrast between a gospel like voice and soul-like back vocals (especially on "Courage") can indeed reflect such harmony, for black Rockers are still an unusual stuff in the Rock scene even though we're living in 2013. Let me also praise his mastering of both low and high pitches, best revealed on "Ain't That Truth". Concerning the lyrics, they're undoubtedly smoothing out right from his heart. As for the second track "If U Fuk Up", it contains a motivational / inspirational message, but mostly the melancholic atmosphere reigning on "I'm Not Gonna Freak Out" of which Pinnick stated that one uses the dark side of his to make music... Not always true.

Moving on further along with the tracks, the scales are rather Bluesy with a tempo is in a roller-coaster movement from one track to another, unlike the instrumentation that does lack variation, rather loyal to the classic system (guitar, bass and drums) although there were trials to introduce some keyboard notes in "What You're Gonna Do", as well as the synth-like solo on "Courage". The guitar is, for most of the time, just a rhythm instrument along with the bass playing. The chords vary from the clean old school effect to some Nu-Metal stuff, from aggressive Metal chords on "Don't Take Me Away From You" to the ballad fingering type on "The Point". The latter song can be the richest with instruments and effects including wah-wah, and most of all displays an amazing mastering of scales. Often ultra short and shy solos come to spice up, except for "I Hope I don't Lose My Mind" during which a typical but cutting-edge Hard Rock solo lasts for about three minutes of pure nostalgia to KING'S X's era, as well as "Ain't That Truth" 's outro solo. When it comes to the bass played by Pinnick himself, I was actually impressed by the funky rhythm of the same late song, mingled with strong break drum snares, and roughly the same scheme is repeated in "Heart Attack" but much more rocky this time, where different drum crushes are alternating with the clear bass high pitched arpeggio that even draw your attention from the guitar solo, then ending the album in the last track with a solo on his own instrument. I've just left the greatest biggest thing as a conclusion for the review, and what's better than leaving crème de la crème to the end! "The Great Big Thing" deserves its name as a simple groovy song where the black naughty boy exhibits his energetic left hand play on both guitar and bass in its video clip released in May, and that will very likely make a hit one day.

Last but not least, Pinnick just got stuck in his own style, something that created some sort of linearity from one track to another despite the clear attempts to make it sound spiced up, and we're all longing for a rainbow album.