FEEL EUPHORIA

This disc is somewhat of a miracle for this band because after the release of last years stunning 'Snow', lead singer/songwriter/band leader Neal Morse decided to find god and quit the music business (ummm, guys, listen, I know God is out there, but giving up your entire career to devote your life to him/her is a bit silly - this is just my opinion, so no offense to the religeous folks out there). Most bands would have simply given up, called it a day and found other resources for musical outlet. But SPOCK'S BEARD decided to keep on going and the results on this post 'Morse' disc show that these guys are alive and well and quite capable of counting on without Morse. Drummer, and sometime lead singer Nick D'Virgilio has decided to handle all the vocal duties and he does a fantastic job (if you heard his amazing voice on 'Carrie' from "Snow", you know what this guy is capable of). But what is sometimes lacking is the Morse melodic touch. The guy simply wrote epics and his melodies are just too catchy to pass up (you MUST buy 'Snow' to get this point - run DON'T walk). There are some shining moments on this disc and given a little time, this band will bounce back to their state of glory. For now, we will have to be happy that they simply exist and has created a very solid album after such a traumatic shake up in it's foundation.

The disc opens with the upbeat, but unmemorable 'Onomatopoeia', with many shifting time signatures, keys, moods, but the song simply does not grab you. Those types of songs are left for later in the disc, as evidenced on the epic 'You Don't Know' and the closing 'Carry On' (a semi-autobiographical triumph of the band's spirit). There are some hard feelings that the band displays on "The Bottom Line" which is a fantastic track full of lush harmonies, tight band interplay, and strong songcraft. But there are too many moments of self-indulgence and that may be a lack of self-editing that happens when bands decide to produce themselves (ummm METALLICA!!!!!). But that doesn't mean that this disc is a wankfest either, far from it, it's just that there are parts in songs that simply sound like they were 'stuck in' for good measure.

I won't fault them on this too much, because the majority of this disc is well focused and very well done. This disc will take a bit of getting used to, but if you stick with it, it will reward you. I simply can't wait to hear what these guys will do next. Nice work.

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