It's tempting to center on the benefits Mannix reaps by utilizing the House Of Vibes recording studio to record some of the tracks here (co-produced by Gripweeds Kurt and Rick Reil and featuring contributions from fellow-Gripweed and Rooks guitarist Kristen Pinell), but the spotlight rarely strays from Mannix's strong vocal and songcraft. The changes in No Longer Angry, the lovely melody Mannix's vocal carries on Arms Around You, the harmonies on Time Travel, the solemn acoustic guitar and haunting vibes on Afterglow - the CD features highlight after highlight.

Often, Pretty Strange features some quite evocative and emotional performances (as on the opening Americana and the solemn Don't Tell A Soul), but Mannix brings more to the table elsewhere. Arms Around You keeps the music simple, but lets a stellar vocal arrangement have the spotlight. The rock and roll shoes come out on How Far You Fell - with a pounding piano that keeps the song charging even through a scorching guitar solo from Bob Brochu.

There's much here to delve into and explore - this is one CD that I had a hard time taking out of my player!

(***1/2 out of 5)