Listening to the solo debut from the former frontman of San Francisco Bay Area band Power 13, it’s easy to imagine standing in a roadside juke joint, watching a blue-collar bar band pound out propulsive rockers under the glow of neon beer signs. Produced by Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Soundgarden), For Better or Worse sometimes echoes the romanticism of pre-Beatles roots rock, and other times sounds like Steve Earle fronting the Rolling Stones. From the Johnny Cash–style freight-train beat of “It’s Only Natural” to the slow-burning balladry of “Is It Ever Gonna Change?,” Manuosos’ real strength is his knack for mixing guitar-driven rockers with moodier, dramatically dynamic tunes. On the mid-tempo, John Hiatt–style rocker, “It’s Gonna Be Alright,” Manousos sings,
“ . . . on the road of resurrection / there are business-suited clowns / who whitewash democracy to bring the hammer down / . . . Oh, it’s gonna be okay / but how far will I go to get away?” With equal parts sweet hope and bitter doubt, the lyrics scan like an emotional snapshot of our times, even as the music conjures up ghosts of the ’60s. Whether the subject is love or politics, though, Manousos belts out every line with unabashed passion. That could be a sign of how far we have come from the irony of the ’90s, and it’s a welcome relief to hear that kind of passion fueling a rock record released in 2006. (Shock and Fall Recordings, www.paulmanousos.com)