THE SALE

This is a nice return to form for Crack The Sky, possibly because of the return of original bassist, Joe Macre. You can hear hints of the original band (now with 3 original members back, and drummer Joey D'Amico is said to be returning for at least one live show), and at times they sound like they are trying too hard to get that sound.

There are many songs using the bass/drums syncopation that drew me to the original lineup. There are songs that recall Flashlight, Lighten Up McGraw, and even the eastern sound of Animal Skins. There are songs that could have been on From The Greenhouse, and a few that have the modern CTS sound from Cut.

My only complaint is that the mix, particularly the vocals, is a bit mushy from the use of effects. And since the disc doesn't provide lyrics, you sometimes can't understand what Palumbo is singing.

The lyrics are politically left wing. Personally, I like that. But I suspect that in 10 years or so they'll sound dated.

I'm looking forward to seeing them live.