**1/2 Monster Mike Welch

AXE TO GRIND

(Tone-Cool)

Yep, Monster Mike Welch sure does play a lot of mean, stinging electric blues guitar. The 18-year-old phenom out of Lexington plays fast and loud, with lightning runs wedged between insistent chords. But though he manages to avoid blues-rock guitar overkill, Welch does display symptoms of the common illness Stevierayitis. Tons of guitarists have saturated the cheapie bins with lessons faintly learned from the late guitar hero and his butt-rocking brother Jimmie. Welch, at least, has a ready excuse: he's just a kid. A mighty talented kid. However, several of the (not-so-damn) originals here recall SRV right down to the clenched-teeth vocals. Maybe Welch should venture away from his capable three-piece rhythm section and mix it up with a sax or piano player. There is a cure for Stevierayitis, but only if guitar players are willing to help themselves.

-- Bill Kisliuk