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Justin DiFebbo

Skin and Bones

Review by Gary Hill

There are a lot of Pink Floyd elements here. That’s not to say the whole disc resembles Pink Floyd, though. Only a couple songs really feel like that band. Still, a lot of spots along the ride have leanings in that direction. This is an accessible album that has a lot of prog in the mix. It’s mainstream, but also involved. It’s a great set start to finish, really.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016  Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Adrift

There are elements here that call to mind Americana. Other things are more like trippy jazz. Overall, this feels a lot like something from Pink Floyd.

Air You Breathe
There is a bit more of a bombastic symphonic prog vibe to this cut. That said, at first it almost feels like an extension of the previous number. It rocks out more after a time and there is some killer melodic guitar soloing.
Back and Forth
We get more of a straightforward rocking style on some of this. Still, there are parts that land in the neighborhood of trippy prog, too. It’s another strong tune. It takes things in new directions, while still feeling that it belongs. The mellower drop back on this thing moves toward a retro jazzy sound at times.
Do What You Like
This mellower tune is more of a ballad. It has a lot of folk music built into it. It’s very much a 0s styled thing. That said, there are still layers of sound that lend more of the dreamy prog element.
Skin and Bones
A slow moving number, there is a lot of Americana and blues rock in this thing. It’s still got plenty of trippy sound. There are bits from early Pink Floyd that are similar to this in a lot of ways. It’s another great bit of variety.
To My Love
Here get much more of a straight mainstream rocker. Yet, even this has proggy elements built into it. It’s yet a different side to the sound of the album. I love the great melodic guitar soloing on this thing.
Blue Melody
This is another cut that makes me think of Pink Floyd in some ways. I love the dreamy element of the piece. Yet, there is still some Americana here, too. It’s a cool, rather moody piece.  It turns more toward harder rock later in the piece. It really has a 1970s rock vibe in a lot of ways. I can make out hints of The Eagles even.
Good Intent
There are non-lyrical vocals here, but otherwise it’s an instrumental. It’s fairly mainstream in some ways, but really has a trippy kind of prog sound, too.
Too Much
A mellow rock vibe is the overall concept here. There are still prog things going on, but it’s a fairly mainstream tune in a lot of ways. There are some distinctly David Gilmour-like guitar bits, though.
Be My Star
There really isn’t a lot of prog here. Instead, this is a mellow folk song more than it is anything else. It gets some nice layers of instrumentation over the top at times, and I suppose lands in the neighborhood of folk prog there, but this is the most stripped bare arrangement of the set. It works well, but isn’t so much my kind of thing.
 
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