No. Rob Sbar turns me on because he plays jazz. His incessant ramblings on guitar are tolerable because they’re laid atop a contradictory slow groove set down by drummer Erik Feder and bassist Matt Shaefer. Sure, the virtuoso runs on “16 Shades of Gray” are impressive, but that’s not what’s attracting the ladies. What’s most impressive is Rob’s solid music education (bachelor’s and graduate degrees in music, thank you very much) and his intellectual and thoroughly artistic approach to his compositions. Liner notes, in lieu of nonexistent vocal lyrics, provide Sbar’s philosophical meanderings on the album and it’s structure for his listeners.

The interplay between band members is certainly the key to Sbar’s success on this album. Let’s face it, the guitar is designed as a melodic top instrument. But a full 40 minutes of guitar solos can get old really fast – unless you’re a preteen boy with the pipedream of becoming the next Steve Vai. Sbar gets it right, though, on songs like “Drowning In a Vacuum (Of Barbed Wire Solitude),” with a dichotomy that’s both challenging and creative. And a few songs, like the almost Latin tinged “Blue Harvest,” feature a full jazz orchestra recorded live in Philly.

We girls certainly like masters of their guitars, but not those who can’t stop practicing their chords long enough to send a playful wink our way. Fortunately, Rob’s instrumentals are lighthearted, whimsical, and free yet strong, serious, and carefully composed. And that’s how a real rock chick likes her men.