L.A.,WI.            

Tony Poole looks out over the audience at the 100 Club -"I feel as if I've seen most of you people before" he says before the band launch into 'Jesus Is Just Alright'. It's a number from the Byrds Easy Rider album of course, and the familiar audience is happy to hear Starry Eyed's selections from the Byrds' repertoire. But that's not what keeps their followers keeping on. It's in their original songs with their catchy phrasing, well executed harmonies and brilliantly timed instrumental breaks that their real appeal lies. That much they've picked up through their admiration for not only the Byrds but also other slick west coast bands like the Beach Boys and the ill-judged Moby Grape. Starry Eyed aren't simply a band with a singer able to imitate Roger McGuinn's voice and Rickenbacker style, they are endowed with three songwriters capable of tossing out impressive songs, individually or collectively, for the band.

Their first album bears witness to this songwriting ability and even though they reckon their performances often represent a bleary eyed rather than starry eyed approach, (much of it was recorded at unearthly hours in between other sessions) their potential nonetheless shines through. They've already written some choice songs, like 'One Foot In The Boat', to grace what may well be one of the albums of 1975. In the meantime if you can catch them live their enthusiasm and talent to entertain will guarantee you a good night out. Pretty soon Tony Poole won't be able to spot those familiar faces so easily - there'll be an awful lot of others along­side them.