There are so many mediocre bands these days that it's become like sand on a beach. I guess this proliferation of music is good in some ways. Every now and then the crops yield some extraordinary product, but it takes effort to find the next jewel. After sifting through a number of average bands, I came across this stunning treasure. The album art is what first caught my eye. It's a jigsaw puzzle with a one of the tiles removed to expose the underlying artwork. The same graphics are replicated to match their web site wallpaper. This depiction drastically piqued my curiosity. As a result, I quickly moved the album to the top of my queue. I had to quench the inquisitiveness forming inside my thirsty mind.

The music is instantly engrossing and extraordinarily melodious. The production is squeaky clean and the songwriting is stellar. Immediately, I was one impressed listener. The music is a culinary delight that uniquely combines Violet District with A.C.T. It's lightly seasoned with Queen, ingrained with Izz, and speckled with Spock's Beard. There is even a hint of Dream Theater in its gravy. As soon as the first spoonful hit my tongue, I was experiencing pure ecstasy. Each track is a different delicatessen that features its very own taste.

Much later I discovered that the majority of tracks were done on the first take. This is nowhere near obvious and goes by completely undetected. I didn't even have a single suspicion. You'll feast on this material as if you're famished. You'll gobble this up swiftly resulting in the need to loosen your belt to give yourself more room to nosh. There is no filler in the frosting and as soon as you're done, you'll crave more.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2005 Year Book Volume 2 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2005.