Dwight Twilley is like that cousin who used to pop in once in a blue moon and was great fun to be with and around. The last run-in I had with him was his terrific single, “Girls,” a slice of ’80s pop-rock heaven that featured Tom Petty on backing vocals. He’s best known for his ’70s chart hit, “I’m on Fire.”

Everything you’d expect is here – crunchy rhythm guitars, perfectly-placed jangly sounds, and soaring solos. Dwight does much of the rhythm, and most of the lead guitar work is by Bill Pitcock, IV. As with most Twilley records, though, it’s the song that matters. Pretty much every cut has a great feel, whether it’s an otherworldly vibe set off by swirling strings, a Beatle-esque piano ballad, or chunky Chuck Berry-style rock. In a fair world, Twilley would have had plenty of Top 40 records, and, not surprisingly, that goes here, too. “To Wait is To Waste” is hook heaven.

Twilley has a way of writing a song that makes it stick to your brain. That’s a gift not a lot of rock songwriters have, and it’s nice to hear a Dwight Twilley record, and this is no exception.