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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Intimate Dream

Wonderful Thing EP

Review by Gary Hill

These guys have a pretty cool blend of classic rock, punk, alternative rock and more. It’s a sound that’s fresh and modern, but also feels familiar. The songs come in, make their point and get back out, never staying around too long. One consistent element, though, is meaty guitar soloing. This set is quite cool. It’s diverse enough to keep from sounding redundant. Yet there is a cohesiveness here. I’d love to hear more from these guys.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Wonderful Thing

The introduction here starts things of with a classic sound. They drop it down to a more stripped back arrangement for the verse. The cut feels very much like a modern alternative rock meets pop tune. The instrumental break meets bridge is quite powerful. It features some tasteful melodic guitar soloing and a great vocal arrangement. Although this song is very modern, it definitely has elements of classic rock.

In Your Head
Faster paced and a little more raw, this has a little bit of a punk rock vibe to it. It’s also a killer tune with a lot of energy. Again the guitar solo is classic.
Mine Alone
A little more melodic, this has a real 1970s rock vibe turned modern alternative rock. It’s a cool tune that works well. Although in some ways this is a mellower tune than the two that preceded it, it has some of the most furious guitar soloing. I love how that guitar keeps right on soloing as the vocals are also in the mix.
Space Girl
Alternative rock opens this in fairly melodic ways. Then it powers out to a jam that makes me think of the Ramones a bit. It’s aggressive, crunchy, noisy and very cool. I love the guitar soloing on this one.
Slow Down
Here’s a cool change. This is very much an old time rock and roll number. It’s kind of like a cross between the Stray Cats, George Thorogood and some classic country rock act. This feels like it could have been released in the 1950s. It’s a sstomper that’s a lot of fun.
Wonderful Thing (A Cappella)

They close the set with a vocal only version of the opening title track. It’s an unexpected number that seems a bit like a barbershop quartet mixed with a doo wop group. There is a bit of soulful vibe here, too. This is an unlikely number based on the rest of the stuff here, but it’s also one of the best.

 
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