JOHN Power, the much-maligned former Cast frontman, returns with a record drawing heavily on his previous recording life with The La's.

Happening For Love has a stripped-down, raw sound. Gone are the poppy, synthetic noises that pock-marked Cast's three albums. This is Power, microphone, guitar and little else - and it works. Opening track Electrify is symbolic of the new Power. He's bursting to recover what he once had. There's energy to his vocals. Yet he has retained that ability to write the killer catchy chorus that gets into your head and never leaves. Small Farm and the title track are the best examples of an artist at home with solo status. Happening For Love may not propel Power back into the upper echelons of the charts, but it will give him some much-needed artistic respect.

Updated: 10:26 Thursday, August 07, 2003