ALL THE WARS

This is the first PINEAPPLE THIEF album that left me unimpressed after my first listen, and I do own all of their studio albums save for "10 Stories Down"(but I do have "12 Stories Down") and yes i've been a big fan for a long time now. In fact the opening track is one I still can't get into. Maybe it's because they've taken a turn into more of a MUSE territory. For some reason i've always loved that sameness they've always had about their music with the lack of dynamics. Still, I can see this album being popular with music fans in general.

"Burning Pieces" for whatever reason bugs me when it kicks into that heavy sound. Now i'm sure it would be cool hearing this in concert but I still get annoyed with it. "Warm Seas" is better as once again we get those contrasts of heavy and mellow but it just works better here for me. Great tune. "Last Man Standing" sounds so good early on reminding me of PT with the atmosphere and lyrics. It kicks in before 2 minutes as contrasts continue. Classic PINEAPPLE THIEF right here and a top three track. "All The Wars" is a mellow tune with strummed guitar and melancholic vocals. Good tune. "Build A Word" opens with orchestration and piano before this catchy beat kicks in with vocals. I did tire of it quickly though.

"Give It Back" is quite powerful as it kicks in hard before a minute. It settles some when the vocals arrive. A good rockin' tune. "Someone Pull Me Out" is laid back with reserved vocals. Sad is the word. It gets fuller with orchestration on the beautiful chorus. A top three tune for me and it reminds me of their older sound other than the orchestration. "One More Step Away" is mellow with drums, picked guitar and vocals. I like this one. "Reaching Out" is my favourite. Great intro with guitar as it builds. This is a ride as it goes on for almost 10 minutes. Vocals before a minute then orchestration as we get that classic mood and emotion from Bruce and the boys. I like the bass when it settles back as the vocals stop. Great section. Just a killer track !

I'm not big on orchestration which is fairly prominant on this album yet it is tastefully done. But it's more the bombastc parts that for some reason don't work for me. Lots to like here but not enough to offer up that fourth star. Not a fan of the cover art either. My favourites from this band coninue to be "Someone Here Is Missing" and "Little Man".