This set is an intriguing one. There is a lot of alternative rock along with punk and much more. These guys don't seem content to set in one place, really . They have a lot of varied material and directions. It's all pretty effective, though.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Snowy in Florida
This starts with percussion and works out from there. The mix of sounds is unique and compelling. Imagine combining Primus with Jane's Addiction and King Crimson. You'd find yourself pretty close to this if you added a little Red Hot Chili Peppers. Odd as this is, I like it a lot.
Sip of Wine This is a mellower, more melodic cut. It's not as crazed as the opener, but still has a bit of alternative rock trippiness that works well for it.
The Unheard Spirit Symphony Here they bring us into more unique territory. Parts of this are more like standard alternative rock with a bit of a punk edge. They drop it mid-track, though to some near pure reggae. There are almost some fusion things at play here at times, too.
Gateways This cut lands more in the vein of roots rock. It has a bit of a punky edge. It's a decent tune, but not as interesting as a lot of the others.
Hey There Harder rocking and rather aggressive, this is intriguing. It has a 1960s hard rock elements at play in a lot of ways. Yet there are hints of punk rock. This starts a little lackluster, but really works into something pretty special. I dig it.
Looping Another alternative rock meets punk and psychedelic exploration, I like the guitar bits interspersed on this cut. Those save this from feeling samey.
Brother’s Keeper Drenched in psychedelic rock, this leans toward space music. It's one that feels as if it would have been at home in the late 1960s. There are some cool textures on this number.
Distant Kaleidoscopes Piano starts things here. The cut moves outward from there is a slow moving, rather ominous arrangement. Psychedelic rock and more are part of the recipe on this number. This instrumental gets pretty interesting in some of the layers of sound and arrangements. It's one of the most unusual and captivating things here.
Tommy’s Cosmic Avocado Here we get another cut that's very much cut from psychedelically tinged cloth. It's a like a festival of tie-dyed goodness in a lot of ways. There is a modern edge to it at the same time. This is another highlight of the set. There is some cool bass work on the extended instrumental segment here. This cut weighs in at over eight minutes and a big chunk is made up of that instrumental movement. That movement is arguably the strongest musical section of the whole album.
Jungle Crunch Electronic sounds drive this in a lot of ways. There is a rap via a guest appearance. This is kind of set in a trippy sound. I dig the rocking kind of spacey music later. This thing really does work well.
