I know there are a lot of people who feel that when you put punk rock into the mix music ceases to be progressive rock. I disagree with that assertion, myself. In fact, I find that some of the modern progressive rock that incorporates punk is among the most vital and interesting prog. I also think that’s it’s an interesting victory statement that punk rock rose up as an answer to the perceived excesses of a lot of music, including prog, and yet it’s now incorporated into music that qualifies as prog. There’s really something empowering about that if you are a progressive rock fan. In any event, though, this album has that punk vibe along with hints of Roxy Music, psychedelia and more traditional progressive rock. It’s inventive, entertaining and interesting.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012  Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.

There’s an energetic, pop punk kind of groove that opens this up and the cut works out from there with that backdrop. As it continues, though, other elements including space rock elements come over the top. The female vocals add a lot and this really does work out into a killer jam. There’s sort of a jam band meets punk meets space rock vibe here.

The general musical concepts here are the same as the opener, but with the off-kilter, smoking hot rhythm section and balance of sounds, I’d lump this in under progressive rock. It’s a lot like the opener, but also better than that cut.

While the verse on this is along the lines of 1980s pop music, the chorus is very much in a progressive rock kind of vibe (mind you with a modern twist). This is another cool tune and another change-up. In some ways, this reminds me of Roxy Music.

Psychedelia merges with alternative rock and modern progressive sounds in the mix on this one. It’s another intriguing cut and another that feels at home here, while also expanding the sonic envelope of the album.

One of my favorite cuts of the set, there’s a killer punk meets psychedelic and prog sound to this. It’s energetic and just plain cool. I particularly like the section where it goes through a slow down process and gets kind of heavy.

Some of the vocals on this make me think of Chris Squire, but it’s got kind of a cool punk groove to it. There’s still some progressive rock in the mix, too. All in all, this is another great piece of music that stretches the sound of the disc in new directions.

Imagine a psychedelic rock version of The Clash and you’d be pretty close to this tune. It’s another cool one and another that shows yet a different angle to this group’s sound.

Bouncy and fun, this rocker is one of the most purely punk cuts of the set. The instrumental section though brings it back into a psychedelic prog vibe. In some ways, the verse and chorus parts of this make me think of Devo.

That psychedelic vibe is all over this piece. It rocks like crazy, too. It’s got so much energy and a great musical vibe to it. There is still plenty of the punk in place, too.

The acoustic motif that opens this calls to mind The Violent Femmes a bit. This works into a modern prog sound that has some of that same element in place. It’s another cool cut that is quite effective. It has some great melodic movements, too.

Space rock, punk and a lot of other sounds all merge in a dramatic and powerful piece of music that’s a highlight of the set. Mid-track it works into a killer psychedelic meets prog jam and then it works out gradually from there. This keeps evolving and turns into one of the coolest pieces of music of the whole set.

The usual suspects of modern progressive rock and punk rock are merged on this cut. It’s got a bit of a 1980s vibe to it, too. It works into more psychedelic music later. It’s another standout tune.