STILL THE WATERS

If you are someone like me who loves the emotional personal closeness of independent music then you are going to love this album (assuming you also like prog since you are on this website). If you are someone who likes to criticize independent artists and thinks Nursery Cryme is Genesis' worst album because of the production quality, then you should probably just pass on it. I completely agree with the reviewer who said that this album is great because the artist has put his heart and soul into it. The album is very emotional and very personal, especially in the guitar playing which I found to be really touching. There are also are a lot of very soothing beautiful passages that I would describe as being influenced a lot by post rock. In fact, just by looking at the album cover you can get a pretty good feel for the kind of mood this album is going to put you in. This is the perfect album for when I just want to relax and let someone take me on an emotional journey. Make no mistake, this is a prog album with a lot of complex passages and the artist is clearly talented, but if that is all you are looking for then this album may not be for you. If I had to give one criticism of the album it would be that sometimes he holds himself back with the vocals when he shouldnt. For some songs the subdued vocal style fits, but at other parts I really wanted to hear him take more risks vocally and push himself. At some points he did do this a little and I liked those parts a lot because for an independent artist he has a very good voice. Overall this is an excellent album that may not be for some prog listeners (like me in high school) but that I think most (like me now) will love. 4 stars