Angst and bad breakups have fueled many a hit rock song.

But Mitch Alden was just plain tired of writing songs about those subjects by the time he migrated to Maine four years ago. So it is, then, that the music Alden creates with his Portland-based rock outfit, NOW is NOW, forgoes some of the grump and gruff of most contemporary radio rock (Puddle of Mudd, Staind, I’m looking at you), in favor of a more melodic sound and a refreshingly positive lyrical outlook.

Still, the 34-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist – along with band mates Dan Paul, bass, and Neil Carroll, drums – play polished, ready-for-radio, guitar-driven rock somewhere in the vein of bands such as Creed and Live.

And now NOW is NOW will bring its original songs as well as a few covers from 9:30 p.m. to about 1 a.m. Saturday, July 17, to the Waterfront Bar & Grill in Bangor.

When planning to record the band’s new album, Alden says he wanted to capture the band’s positive sound as closely as possible on tape. So, he enlisted the help of some friends with studio connections and access to professional recording equipment and took to the woods. Alden converted the cabin he shares with his wife near the White Mountains into a studio.

The band spent nine days recording there last winter. It was an environment Alden feels was more conducive to naturally creating and capturing the band’s vibe and material, with the setting as an added inspiration to perform and record.

“Days of Summer,” NOW is NOW’s second full-length, self-produced album was the result. It’s a solid collection of familiar-but-fresh rock originals, with surprisingly crisp production, and anchored by Alden’s uplifting lyrics of introspection.

For more about Saturday’s gig, call the Waterfront at 992-7273. For more about NOW is NOW, visit www.NOWisNOW.com. George Bragdon can be reached at gbragdon@bangordailynews.net.