Nothing more reminds me of my mortality than finding out that the lead singer of a band I've listened to for years is now a solo artist. Be it The Replacements' Paul Westerberg, Dramarama's John Easdale, or Social Distortion's Mike Ness, whenever one of these lead singers rose from the ashes of their defunct bands, I would realize just how long I'd been listening to them. And I would feel old.

The newest addition to this list is Nash Kato, the former lead singer of Urge Overkill. While most people might be familiar with Urge Overkill's remake of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," their contribution to the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, my first introduction to them was at a friend's beach house in Manasquan on a rainy night in the summer of 1992 when I heard "The Supersonic Storybook".

It was brooding, melodic, funky, and unlike anything out at the time. It was 70's power rock, mixed with a healthy dose of R&B, sung by the hippest cats in Chicago. They were living the lounge culture before lounge was cool. Smoking stogies and shaking martinis in their pad/recording studio were guitarist and lead singer Nash Kato, drummer Blackie Onassis, and bass player Eddie 'King' Roeser. This threesome wore bell bottoms, belt buckles, and huge medallions, and through their music paid homage to the sounds of Kiss and Cheap Trick.

I am not ashamed to admit that I was sucked in by the sound and by the attitude. My friends and I started smoking cigars and drinking gin and tonics. I wore my Urge Overkill necklace and medallion. Urge Overkill was ahead of the curve, exploiting the lounge life before the Wall Streeters and college kids got to it.

With their 1993 release of "Saturation", one of the best albums of the decade, I was sure Urge Overkill was on the verge of being huge. "Sister Havana" was a radio hit and they were a great live band. In 1994, they toured as Pearl Jam's opening act.

However, minor commercial success did not translate into stardom. Their 1995 release "Exit the Dragon" went barely noticed and after a quick tour, the band disappeared.

Rumors that the band would get back together proved false, and early in 1998 Kato was in the studio laying down tracks for a new album for Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard's record label, Loosegroove. Two years later, Kato gave us Debutante.

According to the bio on his Web site, "The songs on "Debutante", more or less a collection of 12 demos compiled over the past 2 years, with the exception of a stellar cover of Steely Dan's 'Dirty Work,' fitting into the track listing like a glove, are once again indicative of Kato's deftness in making excellent rock n'roll. From the explosive kick-off track, 'Zooey Suicide' through the Stones-inspired title track, in-between and beyond, Nash delivers a record that will not disappoint Urge fans while bringing his singular brilliance to light."

Of course, promotional copy is effusive by nature. They cannot say things like, "We don't know what the hell Kato was doing in the studio for two years. We tried moving the sessions from Chicago to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the hopes that he might wake up and try something new instead of trying to relive his glory years." But I can say that. And I will.

The bio also quotes Kato as saying that, while in Santa Fe, he spent his mornings by the pool and his nights in the Jacuzzi, staring at the stars. Maybe he should have spent a few more hours in the studio. Maybe he should not have tried so hard to be make another Urge Overkill album.

"Zooey Suicide," the first single, wants painfully to be the next hit single from his former band. It sounds like "Tequila Sundae," which was featured on "Saturation".

Kato's cover of "Dirty Work," is surprisingly flat. I would have expected him to try to out-Steely-Dan Steely Dan on this cover, but instead it stays remarkably faithful to the original version and Kato's rendition ends up seeming pointless.

While there are a few tracks where style and substance mesh successfully--most notably, "Queen of the Gangsters" (which seems to borrow liberally from the chorus of Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight"); "Cradle Robbers," the amusing paean to lovers of underage women; and "Blow", which hearkens back to the ballads such as "Emmaline" from "The Supersonic Storybook"--style overwhelms substance on most of the other tracks.

The album is chock full of booming guitars and overemoting background singers--another reminder of his 1970's influences. But it's too much: too rich, too overpowering and too dated. Kato's bio notes that this album is essentially a collection of 12 demos.

When I hear the word "demos," I think of songs which could be ready for an album and other songs that need more work. "A group of demos" is an accurate description of this album. A few songs are reminiscent of the old Urge Overkill sound and a number of songs that need more nurturing.

Mostly, this album succeeds in its ability to remind me how great Nash Kato and Urge Overkill were in the early 1990's and how old I am getting. Time may not have been kind to me, but I rest a little better knowing that it has been just as cruel to some of my heroes.