A veritable fusion of styles
Carl Verheyen eh? Famous Supertramp guitarist with a string of albums behind him already. What can we expect from this latest outing? More Jazz or Blues in a similar vein to previous albums? Not quite. This latest helping seems to be a little more of a mix with a general heading in the rock direction. It's not very heavy - definitely in the easier listening bracket - but it has a wholesome, soulful sound throughout.
The beginning track "Georgia's Reel" is a mid tempo ballad. There's a nice mix of acoustic and electric guitars, with female backing vocals creating a nice counterpoint. The solos are excellent, with some Hammond organ backing but don't let that put you off. It's one of these songs that, although might not be quite be your thing, it grabs you in a big, audial bear-hug and you can't quite escape.
"The Code" begins to annoy me with its overly jazzy and almost amusing start, but it doesn't last thankfully. It's here where the phrase "progressive organs" seems to fit. Forget prog-rock, prog-Hammond is where it's at apparently. It's a mix of a few styles. The drumming is definitely in a jazz feel, but the bass and the solo work has a rock and blues sound to it. It blends well though. Certainly not a mish-mash.
"Dusk: Part 2" has a much more "soul" feel to it, with the classic, Evangelist choir in the background. "Take One Step" is another song with two definitive styles. A jazz feel to the verses and a rock sound to the choruses, with another electric solo that wouldn't be out of place in a Led Zeppelin song. Speaking of which, the following track, "You Bring Me Down" has that Zepp feel to it. There's some great muted and bassey guitar work with another great solo, backed by an organ. It's not quite guitar wanking either. It's just impressive and it fits. "In the Stream" takes this another step further - it being 5 minutes of solo work guitar work.
The mix and production on the album is very good. There is a certain amount of variety though perhaps after the first few songs, some might tire of the mellow, down-to-earth chords and slower rhythms. In the end, it's one of these albums your dad would probably like. It is good however and maybe it's something you'd be embarrassed to admit? It's an album of "aaaahhhhhh" moments really. Great guitar work and something to listen to over the festive season. It isn't rock, or jazz or....well... anything really. It's just a generally good album for these who like guitars. A powerful display of musicianship mixed with the talent of song-writing by these very experienced guys.