A look at the cover of Frank Royster's newest solo album, you'll see the image of his 5-year old son standing, lifting up a giant blue sphere. "He almost looks like a little Atlas," said Royster, "A little guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders." The Facebook photo of his son McCartney was the perfect symbol for Royster's strong sophomore effort, "Innocence is Bliss." A cascade of catchy, fun Power Pop tunes following Royster's chase for happiness as he bears the weight of his own personal ups and downs. "Yeah, I am always looking for bliss, longing for bliss," said Royster, "We are all longing for bliss." Royster's well-known fondness for the Beatles, the Byrds and Elvis Costello continues here as his new music boasts the influence of well-known power pop producer Jamie Hoover, member of the Spongetones. It's the first time Royster handed over full control of his music. The result is a tighter, polished turn following Royster's 2007 self-produced debut album, "Thru the Years." "This record is not as ‘garage-y’ as the first record," he said, "It sonically sounds better." Hints of harmonica, hand claps, piano bouncing and even a slide guitar gave Royster the sound he wanted. Think of a grown-up version of "That Thing You Do!" Better yet, an album full of Brian Wilson and Beatle harmonies, with the sounds of Lenny Kravitz-- even a country twang thrown in. Royster credits Hoover for challenging the material. "It was sometimes hard work, to give someone complete control to make changes, he said." To hear (Hoover) say, "No, I don't like this, we are doing it this way." In the end, Royster said the experience proved liberating. For more than two decades, Royster's musical journey has had him perform at almost every venue in the Charleston area. It started in his James Island living room, at the age of 5, swapping out Tonka trucks for the Honky Tonk records of Buck Owens. At age 13, he owned his first guitar, by college age, his first band The Uncertain-T's. His love for pop pushed him futher as rythym guitarist for the jam-stylings of the Eddie Bush Group in the 1990s, and then for a tour or two or three as guitarist for the popular Charleston bar band, The Fire Apes. The result was the formation of Royster's own band in the 2000s, The Hed Shop Boys that now weekly brings in the "whiskey drinkers" to local watering holes across South Carolina to smile at their pop favorites from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. They often dance to Royster originals they think were created 30 years ago. But in between his love of music on the stage and his knack for teaching guitar in his studio, Royster has found a greater love, that of his son McCartney, giving no doubt to Royster's preference for his favorite Beatle. In the final track of "Innoncence is Bliss," Royster gives his son the opportunity he never had at the age of five, the chance to sing and record his very first song, "Longing for Twinkle" is a re-creation of a familiar children's song, with the booming sounds of McCartney at the drums. "He knows some of the words, he sings it," he said. "He calls it 'twinkley'!" Indeed, innocence is bliss. -Patrick Villegas