TIMELESS

'Timeless' is a perfect name for an album that includes early Genesis songs and themes, and The Watch obviously have a deep love for Genesis, and just as Big Big Train gave the proper treatment to Anthony Phillips' 'Master of Time', making it great, so The Watch has given the treatment to 'In The Wilderness' turning a song written before Genesis' prime, into something magnificient, with added chord progressions, especially at the fade out, that equalled Banks at his best. 'Let Us Now Make Love' is also given the treatment, and turned into something stunning, and the Genesis song that was already perfect, Stagnation, is done very very well. The subtleties and nuances here are not lost. Chalk this one up as my favorite cover ever. I can't think of anything redone this well.

As to the original tracks here, they are compositionally very good as usual. If one likes the style of The Watch, they will not be disappointed. I laugh when I see someone gave this album one star. It's certainly not the music that's at fault. The compositions are subtle and well crafted. Emotion is at the forefront, and that's I think what some may just not hear. 'Soaring On' is a remake of the favorite from "Primitive' and I wasn't sure why they would need to redo it, until I heard it. The beautiful blending 12-strings dominate here a la early Phillips/Rutherford work, and again, flawlessly performed. 'One Day' (not the Genesis song) is another standout, this one not sounding at all like Genesis, but very cleverly written with time signature change riffs, showing another aspect to the Watch, that apart from their usual emotional sound, they can be quite technical too when they want. 'Exit' is the type of thing I'd like to hear more of, a beautiful piano dominated instrumental interlude, and I always felt The Watch was short on instrumental passages. To me it's the instrumental passages that are typically highlights of a Watch album, especially the ones on their previous cd, 'Planet Earth'.

To me, "Timeless' is just that. A great work of nostalgia and perhaps the future blended beautifully, and this album I completely feel, and am growing to love.