Hutch – Turn It Around

In the rock & roll jungle, the power pop trio is a rare breed, indeed. Joe Hutchinson (singer,songwriter,guitarist), Glenn Hays (bassist) and Thom Sullivan (drummer), provide unabashed guitar licks, driving bass, explosive drum rhythms, strapping melodies, and tightly crafted lyrics. Hutch exhibits these and other kick-*** traits showcased on the re-issue of their long out of print CD.

Track Listing:
1. Turn It Around - 5:37   2. So Spaced Out - 3:03   3. Fanciful Eyes - 3:09   4. Living with Me - 3:32   5. Leaving Hollywood -   3:11 6. Mad About You - 4:08   7. I Don't Belong - 4:43   8. Something About You - 3:05   9. Stay with Me - 4:43   10. The Beast Within - 4:50   11. All the Money in the World - 4:00   Bonus Tracks: 12. Love Takes Time (Sh’’s Got Me Flying) - 3:55   13. Maybe Baby - 3:30   14. So Spaced Out (Original Version) - 3:00   15. I Don’t Belong (Demo) - 3:44   16. Stay With Me (Original Version) - 5:43

Reviews:

1. AllMusic by Jason Damas 
Hyperbolic hype aside -- many were calling this the power pop album of 2002 -- something just isn't right about Hutch's debut, Turn It Around. It's not that there is one tragic flaw so much as that there are many moderately large ones that add up to a fairly hollow, unfulfilling whole. Joe Hutchinson writes fairly good songs -- in fact, he may well grow into a memorable singer over time -- but here they're mostly run of the mill power pop, highlighted mostly by some pleasant touches of background vocals and wah-wah guitar. Hutch is in basic three-minute pop song mode, though many of the songs run for four to five minutes or more, evidencing a lack of crucial editing or the need for a kick in the tempo (or both). More troubling is the production -- courtesy of Steve Refling and the members of Hutch themselves -- which is bland and bottom heavy, sinking even the most infectious numbers here. Sure, Hutch does a good job channeling the ghosts of Badfinger, Big Star, and (especially) the Who here and there, but there are many, many bands doing this very thing, and many do it better. Hutch may well grow into a great band, possibly even soon if given a fuller mix and with more developed, less stodgy material, but Turn It Around is a fairly power pop-by-numbers debut.