Like the two mighty Indian-discovered rivers that surround his native Philadelphia, Curt Klinghoffer's musical influences spring from age-old seas, yet import the fascinations of the now.

His debut CD, Panorama Isle, admirably twists together an eclectic mix of popular sounds and flavors ranging from country ("One Good Reason") to samba ("Chico's Room") to New Age ("Astral Getaway") to old-time madrigal ("Season of Love") to angst-ridden rock ("Three More Days," "Great Karmic Tollbooth")—under the all-encompassing beach umbrella of pleasantness. (Does anyone remember PLEASANTNESS??)

In an era overstocked with slick and seamless but largely vapid, synthetic-sounding pop music, Curt's are some of the best and freshest story-songs to come down the pike in years. The arrangements and mixes, recorded locally in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale, are tight and savvy, and the refrains have a way of staying with you like sunshine. The voice is by turns fragile yet smooth, brotherly, but above all else, honest, and decidedly human.

Curt's relaxing yet gently provocative style in songwriting leads me to hearken back to the golden days of the 1970's singer-songwriter era, when people like James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Dan Fogelberg made us think, reflect and smile, and they gladly left it to others to have us shake our proverbial booties.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Curt Klinghoffer lists the aforementioned among his musical mentors—but, true to his "Panoramic" vision, he refuses to be pinned down.

" Yeah, I've tried to emulate those confessional guys; but I certainly wouldn't want to be boxed into that category. I have an ever-increasing love of ethereal, New Age music, and I enjoy trying to craft that into the lyrical-pop texture. I've also gotten more into jazz lately—but remember, there's even a jazz piano track on "Panorama" that I wrote when I was in 10th grade!… I love the way folks like Bruce Hornsby and Van Morrison weave elements of jazz and pop into their idiom in such an exciting way. You'll find a lot more of that, I hope in my next project."

That, by the way, is to be called King Blue, tentatively scheduled for a mid-2003 release. Look for a mood vastly different from the current "Panorama," though.

" The concept in 'Panorama' is an old guy returning to a metaphorical island, 'Panorama Isle,' to reminisce about the various phases of his life. Even though there's pain and sorrow all around him, he's constantly trying to see it all through sunny, optimistic eyes. A true reflection of my personality, I believe.

" But in the upcoming record, I think you'll find a lot more melancholy and blues. While the first record's philosophy was like, 'No matter what I see out there in this painful world, I refuse to let it get me down;' the new record is more like: 'OK; things really suck lately. What IS keeping us, collectively and individually, from that happiness?'"

For the moment, though, I, for one, am content with my respite on "Panorama Isle." Check into "Panorama Isle," and you may not want to check out. Much like a passage from gritty Philadelphia to the sunny climes of South Florida, it doesn't get any warmer than this.

--Armando Rendon, The Miami Muse