UNSETTLED

Debut Dean Watson's album is nice instrumental music work. Very competent musicianship, and full-body sound ( for one-man band). Plenty of guitar (quite often - heavy guitar) sound, synth and drums on the very front of the sound mix.

Rooted in symphonic prog and jazz-rock from 70-s, this music is very modern. I mean - you will never feel as you're listening one of old time recordings. With all pros and cons of such situation...

Possibly, I am not the best critic of such music. I listened for thousands of fusion and prog rock albums released between mid 60-s and 2010, and even when music is very different, all of them could be divided in two categories: albums with spirit/atmosphere, and albums without it.

Unhappily, being competent technically, this debut doesn't contain that mystic atmosphere ( and for me all the best jazz and rock are sources of such "atmosphere"). Possibly, one big reason of that is just multilayered one musician recording. There are strong albums, recorded by one man played, but a very few in all progressive rock/fusion history. Because one of most important element, especially speaking about jazz-rock, is moment of live improvisation, even when music is recorded in studio.

There we have calculated sound, without mistakes ( and such mistakes were made by many great musicians, sometimes even on studio recordings), well balanced, fresh enough and not too boring, but a bit "lifeless". OK, music there is more heavy fusion, than jazz rock, so progressive metal influence doesn't require of such "jazzy" atmosphere too much.

But I'm missing it! Nice technical abilities demonstration, with no bad compositions, but too formal and lifeless for being really attractive. Possibly, heavy guitar soloing lovers will be more attracted by this album.

My rating - 2,5, rounded to 3.