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The Security Project

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Review by Gary Hill

This new set from The Security Project continues their cycle of re-envisioning Peter Gabriel songs, but brings new flavors and concepts to that idea, while also stretching it out a bit. For one thing, there is one personnel change, and it's a big one. Instead of Brian Cummins on vocals, the lead singer is now Happy Rhodes. She brings a different sound to this for sure, as he sounded a dead ringer for Gabriel. That change allows (or perhaps forces) them to break from the original sound of Gabriel tunes a bit more.  The other way in which they stretch out is by covering a Kate Bush tune amidst all the Gabriel stuff. This is another fine entry in The Security Project catalog. It does a fine job of evolving their sound and musical legacy.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017  Volume 6 at  garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2017.
Track by Track Review
Lead a Normal Life
Coming in rather mellow and working outward from there, this is cool stuff. It gets heavier as it moves forward. The balance between mellower and more rocking is cool. The sound-bites in the backdrop work well. The whole cut is just very effective and intriguing.
I Don't Remember

I like the bass work on parts of this cut. This is perhaps a bit less about texture and more about melody than the opener was. It's another strong entry on a disc rather full of strong entries. I particularly like the more soaring, rocking stuff.

San Jacinto

I've always been a big fan of Gabriel's version of this tune. They start this one out tentatively, building it out gradually. They really change this quite a bit from the original version. It leans more toward mellower and more organic territory. The trippy section late in the track is classy.

Intruder

This definitely resembles more recent King Crimson a lot. The female vocals really bring something special to the table on this number. This is one of the most intriguing cuts. It's one of my favorites of the disc. They do some particularly theatrical things with this piece.

Rhythm of the Heat

The sounds that bring this in make me think of the intro to the original Gabriel version quite a bit. It's rhythmic and percussive at the start. They make this their own and create some intriguing musical tapestries and textures.

Mother Stands for Comfort
This comes from my favorite Kate Bush album, and I love the song. They do it by updating, while creating a sound that's not all that far removed from the original. The vocals really feel like Kate Bush in so many ways.  They definitely do justice to a song that's very dear to me.
No Self Control

While a lot of this song isn't much different from a lot of the rest, they bring in a killer King Crimson like section later in the track with multiple layers of vocals. I love that section. When they move back out into the song proper for a final round, it seems to be ramped up in terms of intensity and power.

Family Snapshot

Coming in mellower and staying with the concept for a time, but eventually they work it out to more rocking sounds. There are some intriguing melodic concepts and musical textures. It drops down again at the end for one more vocal segment.

I Have the Touch
Intriguing musical textures and rhythms create the musical concepts here. I love what they do with the chorus section of this cut. It seems well related to the original, but also intriguingly different. This is a great number that's one of the highlights of the set.
Games Without Frontiers / Of These, Hope

I've always loved the original version of "Games Without Frontiers." Again they do a great job of bringing a modern texture to the piece while still grounding it within the original sounds. The second half of this takes us into trippy, dreamy kinds of atmospherics as drums power around underneath it. Then melodies coalesce and begin to drive it forward. A reprise of the French vocals is heard over the top as this continues to evolve. They get into some killer jamming before taking it out in style.

Lay Your Hands on Me

This comes in rhythmic and a bit odd, but gradually rises up toward more melodic territory. Again, thinking of this as sort of an updated reimagining of the piece explains it pretty well. .

 

 
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