| Track by Track Review
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Split Personality
Acoustic guitar based, this has folk music mixed with country angles in the mix. |
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The Real Revolution
This feels like a completely different band. The tune has an intriguing jazzy arrangement. Rather than the female lead vocals of the previous number, this has male ones. It's got a bit of a soulful groove and a lot of energy. |
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Stuck in the Middle with You
Here we get a cover of a song by Stealers Wheel. The female vocals take the lead here, and this is a fun rendition of the classic chestnut. |
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Saria's Song
This pretty instrumental piece combines world music with classical. It's a great interlude that leans toward art music. |
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The River Inside of Me
Folk and country merge on the title track. This has a more multilayered vocal arrangement. |
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Best of My Heart
On the one hand, there is a folk vibe to this mellower ballad-like number. Yet there is also a jazzy vibe at play. I'm not sure how well the bass works on this, though. As a bass player, that says a lot. At times it seems to gel, at others it just seems a little "in the way." |
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Irikok Forest
This has a freaky sort of psychedelic space rock jam band concept at play. It's an instrumental that's one of my favorites here, but it doesn't fit with a lot of the music on the set. |
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TBA (Cadosia Mix)
A powerful track, this really has a lot of progressive rock built into it. There is plenty of classical music in the mix, and a really soaring arrangement. It's anther favorite, and it is more cohesive with the cut that preceded it than it is with the earlier music here. |
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A Way
Acoustic guitar and vocals are the main elements here. This song really fits more with the earlier parts of the album, but it's also arguably the weakest thing here. It feels under-developed and amateur. I don't think this track should have been included at all, and I would certainly consider it a song to skip. |
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Every Day
Here we get another cover. This time it's a Buddy Holly song. They do it in an acoustic guitar based way. This has a multi-layered vocal arrangement, and it works well, and fits with the folk music side of the band. |
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No Tomorrow
Soulful and jazzy, this is a fun romp that reflects a different side of the group's sound. |
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Turtle Soup
This instrumental has plenty of blues rock merged with jam band sounds, space rock and more. It's another of my favorites on the album. |
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Hackensack
Here we get a Fountains of Wayne cover. A balladic acoustic guitar arrangement is on the menu here. This is one of the more effective pieces presented here.
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People Get Ready
This is a cover of a Curtis Mayfield song. There is a slow, bluesy sort of groove built into their version of the track. It works pretty well. |
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I Came of Age in Baltimore
A stripped back arrangement of one guitar and one voice is on the menu here. This has a definite folk music angle. It's not a favorite here, but it is stronger than a lot of the rest on display. |
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Space Noodle
Another instrumental, this has a spacey, jazzy vibe. It would fit well under the prog rock heading. I like this quite a bit. |
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We're All in This Thing Together
I love the delicate country meets folk instrumental arrangement on this. The vocals bring a bit of a down-home quality that fits the track. This is another winner. |
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Saria's Song (reprise)
As you might guess, this continues the type of sounds we heard on the earlier track. This is another solid instrumental number, and a great way to end the set. |
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