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The CD reviewed here is the special
edition which comes with a second disc (DVD) with 3 songs
performed live. The DVD is playable on standard DVD players
as well as DVD equipped PCs.
I almost let this Proto-Kaw release
slip past me after a few spins - writing it off as a kinder
and gentler pseudo-Kansas effort that didn't quite grab me.
That would have been my mistake and my loss. I will admit
that it took four complete spins for me to "get it". And what
I got was not my original impression. Such is life for the
progrock lover. Although one can identify Proto-Kaw to the
style of Kansas - probably in most part due to the influence
of ex-Kansas member Kerry Livgren at work - the overall demeanor
of their music is sufficiently different. But make no mistake,
if you were to add Robbie Steinhardt (Kansas trademark violinist)
in on a few of these songs you may have a tough time telling
Proto-Kaw and Kansas apart.
The quality of musicianship here
should not be under estimated. These guys sound totally relaxed
and in top form, both their combined and individual performances.
And that's a compliment for vocalist Lynn Meredith too, since
I have condemned many a band for unsavory singing. Proto-Kaw
also fears not the 2, 3 and 4 part harmonies which I find
welcome in progrock. How about the recording? Top shelf. A
thoroughly professional job in all aspects of producing, recording,
and engineering. The final result is dynamically superior
to many current recordings and among the best available with
today's technology.
Building on the sounds of their
prior album "Before Became After", this release is musically
diverse with an epic feel to it even though no song exceeds
10 minutes. Diversity comes from an expanded palette of instrumentation
used, combined with a great sense of dynamic composition.
One gets the impression that no music here was an afterthought
and was developed as a coherent and flowing anthem. Dynamics
are key too, and Proto-Kaw balances the soft and the hard
skillfully. Style is another strong suit here - this is a
band that doesn't play afraid. They are adept at executing
style changes and feel free to inject them as it suits them
- quite frequently and with great progressive results. And
the album as a whole has a looser feel but is replete with
guitar riffs and musical hooks some of which may have come
from free jamming the material. I can now add these terms
to my musical dictionary: "heavy, big band funk", "trumped
up progressive reggae", and of course "jammy riff progrock".
Hail to the band that can wrap tidbits like these into a comprehensive,
consistent, and epic sounding package.
Highly recommended. Grade: A
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