For all you closet Zeppelin junkies, the wait is over. With passionate, wailing vocals and hard-edged, gritty guitar leads layered over acoustic-based rock melodies, John Cox's debut project, Sunny Day, feels like a return to Houses of the Holy. But while comparisons to LZ are inevitable, particularly on the title cut, Cox is by no means a Robert Plant clone. Veteran producer David Kershenbaum, best known for his work with Tracy Chapman and Duran Duran, uses a deft hand to insure Sunny Day remains true to Cox's vision. The songwriting is superb, exploring themes of loneliness and alienation without becoming depressing ("I Don't Know," "What Am I Doing Here?"); and offering hope without sugar-coated clichés ("Heaven Hears You"). The Zeppelinesque "I Need You" manages a good bit of solid theology (check out Corinthians 12). There are also nods to the great arena-rock bands of the '80s, like Aerosmith and Kansas, with a little pre-movie soundtrack Bryan Adams thrown in for good measure. Sunny Day is good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll: melodic, intense, intuitive and just a little bit rebellious. Cox should find a broad base of listeners in both the Christian and mainstream market.