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Giant Flying Turtles Waltz to the World Review by Gary Hill The one thing that's consistent on this album is quality. These guys produce solid music from the beginning to the end. The musical styles are all over the map, though. They have tunes that are set in old school rock and roll, things that lean toward the music of Bob Dylan and things that feel like swing music. The closer is a full on prog rock number. They cover all kinds of different sounds in-between. In an era where people listen to one song more than they do albums, that probably makes a lot of sense in terms of capturing a wide range of listeners. I'm not sure how viable it is for those who still listen to albums. Then again, I liked all of this. I just had a little trouble linking it all together in my brain. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017 Volume 5 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2017.

Track by Track Review

No Turning Back They bring this one in with a classic sounding rock texture. As the vocals come over the top there are alternative rock/pop elements that emerge. I love the harmony vocals on this cut. The whole song really works well, though.

Stay Out Late There is old school rock and roll and even a bit of a swing sound here. This has a very retro element to it. It's a fun little number that is particularly effective.

The Devil And Me This retro tinged number has a lot of the same musical leanings as the last tune. Yet, this really doesn't sound like that cut. It just has the same inspirations. It is another fun stomper. It really feels like something from a bygone era. I absolutely love the instrumental section. It brings those old sounds into a more modern jam band kind of world.

One Of A Kind Now, this is a definite change. There is a crunchy edge to it. I can hear some southern rock built into this. Yet it even has some fusion and weird twists and turns. In some ways it makes me think of Dixie Dregs just a little. The chorus has an almost modern prog element to it. The instrumental section on this occupies some territory between prog and fusion in the earlier, mellower part. The guitar solo brings out into some harder rocking space.

River Runs Dry This doesn't work as well for me. It's sort of a folk rock styled power ballad. It just doesn't feel as polished as a lot of the rest. There are some interesting changes in the structure, though. Besides there are albums where this would be a standout cut. It's just that the competition here is tougher than that.

Train Song This cut comes with more of a rocking energy. There is more of that old time rock and roll meets swing thing here. This number is stranger than anything else here, though. It is also one of the less effective tunes here. It has its moments and charms, though. I dig the jazz instrumental break quite a bit.

Three Shades Of Blue High energy retro tinged alternative rock is the concept behind this. It's a cool tune, but not a big change.

Hold The Flag Piano start this. The vocals come in over that backdrop, bringing this into ballad territory. This song is about the worst parts of war. It's delivered in a powerful arrangement that relies heavily on the piano and voice. Other elements only come in to strengthen it to power ballad territory.

Banjo Now, this is a big change. This cut is very much a bluegrass kind of stomper. It's a good time tune.

Good To Be Alive I love this tune. It has a real folk rock meets blues vibe. There are definitely nods to the rocking side of Bob Dylan. It's this is one of my favorites here.

Waltz To The World If the whole album were like this title track, I'd land it in progressive rock. There are a lot of things about this that make me think of Pink Floyd. It's a cool classic rock based mellower tune. Everything about this just works so well. This is a candidate for highlight of the disc. That makes it a great choice both for title track and closer.

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