'Illumination', the debut CD from San Francisco band Hat, is a 9-track helping of groovin', boogie-liscious rock, at times referred to as 'electro-acousti-kaos'. A diverse collection of styles and sounds, this CD would fit just as neatly into the smoke and zone out section of your CD rack as it would into that space reserved for pure rock-n-roll lust, anger, and pschitzophrenia. Sometimes cerebral, sometimes blunt and simply powerful, always slightly eerie, 'Illumination' blazes new musical paths and searches for answers to questions we have not yet asked. HAT is Phil Greene on guitars and lead vocals, as well as main songwriting duties, Eddie Gonzales on guitar, percussion, and vocals, both lead and backup, Ian Elkus on drums and vocals, and Rev Jackson on bass and vocals. Their music ranges from deep-in-the-pocket groove boogie to Latino ballads sung in Spanish by Eddie, the most blatantly bilingual band member. Influences range form acoustic folk to jazz to James Brown, while keeping all along a strong original flavor thanks to Phil's prolific songwriting.