(Varese Sarabande)

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As one of the longest-running franchises in power pop history, Dwight Twilley has created a consistent brand, one that's defied the fickle trends of the music biz while still maintaining a loyal fan following. That enterprise may have faltered in recent years; a steady stream of reissues and 2009's cover collection, Out of the Box, seemed to impede progress, at least temporarily. Fortunately though, as long as Twilley's still making music, there's ample cause for optimism.

Consequently, there's good reason to celebrate this, Twilley's first new album of new material in quite some time. Aptly titled Soundtrack, it's a set of songs ostensibly intended to accompany a video documentary about his career. Whether or not that film comes to fruition remains to be seen, but even so, the album provides an apt summation of his pop credo with respect to ambition and inspiration. Adhering to a basic rock ‘n' roll motif, Twilley applies his vocals with an angst and intensity that gives these tracks an amped up sense of commitment. They also mark a reunion with former band mate Bill Pitcock IV who, sadly, passed away shortly after the sessions were completed.

Given the emphasis on nostalgia - as reflected through such songs as "Tulsa Town," "My Life," "Bus Ticket" and the like - it's refreshing to find Twilley refusing to get bogged down in melodrama or melancholia. Whether it's the triumphant sweep of "You Close Your Eyes," the rousing Beatle-esque revelry of "Good Times Come Hard" or the drive and determination of the brassy "The Cards Will Fall," Twilley keeps the energy at a peak throughout. It even oozes from the ballads - "My Life" and "Out in the Rain" specifically - with big, inflated arrangements and compelling crescendos amping up the intensity. Not since the halcyon days of his early hit "I'm on Fire" and his namesake band's other seminal efforts has Twilley sounded so triumphant.

DOWNLOAD:  "The Cards Will Fall," "My Life," "You Close Your Eyes" LEE ZIMMERMAN