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1. "Messenger of All's Right" (6:23) opens with a brilliant
use of space and pace with no over-the top melodies or incongruous
changes. At least for the first three minutes. Guitar solo
at 3:00 sucks. The quiet gap of whispered vocal after is
also odd but okay. Another odd guitar solo--very odd choice
of guitar sound--almost like Dave Gregory's (XTC, Big Big
Train). "--there is one who'll pull me out" ?!?!?!? WTF?!
(8/10)***
2. "Warjazz" (5:16) sounds like an Echolyn attempt at
heavier rock. Again, the choices of guitar sounds are not
at all to my liking. Odd lyrical message. Nice coda at the
end of the third minute leading into a nice section of harmonized
vocals. This is followed by an abrasive section of guitar
and screeching voice before the song pauses and winds up
for the closing minute. (6/10)***
3. "Empyrean Views" (9:18) starts out sounding so familiar
Echolyn--like a total rehashing of the music from their
last album's "Past Gravity." The switch at 3:13 tries to
move away from this, but then they get into their older,
early STEELY DAN "Country-Jazz" sound. This is acceptable,
sometimes enjoyable, thought the choral shout "calls for
a destination" is odd and completely lost on me, lyrical
deaf-mute that I am. The dreamy waltz arpeggios at 6:40
are engaging, but then just as soon they are gone. A decent
Jeff Baxter-Like guitar solo fills the eighth minute before
synths take over and start a friendly duel with the guitarist.
This could definitely be an early DOOBIE BROTHERS or STEELY
DAN song! (8/10)***
4. "Different Ways" (7:47) opens like an attempt at
a YES song (Drama/90120) before settling into a true STEELY
DAN sound. ("Any Major Dude" comes to mind.) The chorus
returns to the YES "Changes"-sounding form. Really odd bridge
at 3:20 leads into heavy section before things quiet down
and Fagen sing-talks one of his signature stories. A little
early AMBROSIA sound is recognizable in this one as the
song gets into its final third. (7/10)***
5. "Carried Home" (5:10) opens with a gorgeous sound,
like a classic hit song from the late 60s--from the CLASSICS
IV ("Stormy"), THE BEATLES or even The Association. An awesome,
aweome song. I love the female background vocals at 2:40
followed by a truly great electric guitar solo. The best
singing I've ever heard from this band. Great AMERICA-like
harmony at 3:25--which leads into a nice section of great
lead and harmony vocals to the end. (9/10)***
6. "Once I Get Mine" (5:40) plays like a song from the
early 80s--like THE TUBES meet THE KNACK to play XTC. A
complete throw away song for me. Even the jazz-rock section
at 2:40 can't bring me back. (5/10)***
7. "Sound of Bees" (6:57) is built over a nice weave
of arpeggios--from guitar, piano, and bass--which are then
intermittently added to by different instruments throughout
the course of the song. The lyric or vocalist's melody line
are not interesting enough to lure me in. Nice solo guitar
work over organ from 3:10 on. (8/10)***
8. "All This Time We're Given" (7:59) opens with a guitar
sound going way back to the 50s or 60s over which a gorgeous
CROSBY, STILLS & NASH like voice sings plaintively. Great
shift at 1:42. I'm really loving this vocal! I might even
try to go into the lyric to try to figure out what he's
singing about! AT 3:10 there is a shift into more aggressive
rock--very much in keeping with a late 60s CROSBY, STILLS
& NASH song. It's working! Even the more aggressive singing
voice and harmonies. AT 4:58 there's another shift into
some very delicate solo electric guitar picking before the
vocal and the rest of the band returns to rehash the A and
B sections. I love the NEIL YOUNG-like stand-up piano solos
in the seventh minute! Nice job! (8/10)***
9. "Vanishing Sun" (7:32) opens with some distorted
walking bass lines and raunchy electric guitar chord strums.
Drums eventually establish a rhythm which the heavy bass
settles into and then organ joins in. At the two minute
mark an odd new song begins with a nondescript aggressive
vocal performance scringing his way into a better chorus
section. And swear words! "Kill me now!" he says. Now I
can't help but hear some of the words: "Anger is the root,"
"...set the room ablaze," "What a wasted life," "What a
lonely life." The band as a whole seems to try to express
anger through their increasingly aggressive and loud instrumental
play before settling into a DAVID BOWIE "Suffragette City"
kind of jam to the end. (6/10)***
These guys are obviously talented and knowledgable
and intelligent but their music just never connects with
me. I appreciate it and I play it--always giving it another
chance, trying to figure out what I'm missing--but I leave
it in dismay and never seek it out. Even my favorite song
of theirs, "The End Is Beautiful" I rarely play. I try Cowboy
Poems Free three or four times a year. No luck. Inconsistency
and a little too much obscure quirk keep me at a distance.
What impresses me most is their use of odd--very odd--chords--sometimes
just one single chord--thrown into songs at the oddest of
places--chords that feel as if they were saving from a tremendous
wealth of collected chords from a tremendously deep knowledge
and familiarity with the vast history of rock'n'roll and
music in general. But, like an inside joke or a family's
private language, I seem to be left on the outside. Maybe
as "All This Time We're Given" and "Carried Home" make there
rounds on my "new music" playlist I'll snap into it. It
took me 35 years to "get" and fall head over heels in love
with Gentle Giant. Maybe it'll be the same for Echolyn.
Until then this is a three star album for me--3.5 at best.***
Prog
Is Alive & Well In The 21st Century
Drew
Fisher
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