GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

Being the successor of 'Signals', there should not be too much separating 'Grace Under Pressure' from its predecessor and yet the tenth studio album by Rush is a steady misstep along the creative path of the Canadian power trio, and the first studio album not to be produced by their long-time producer Terry Brown. But it is not just the change in the producer, since 'Grace Under Pressure' is actually a good album, a decent-sounding one with several fine tracks - the main problem here is the lack of drive that 'Signals' had exhibited two years prior, the lack of originality perhaps, too, and the lack of the adventurous aspect that elevates many of the classic Rush albums.

Still, each band member shines as a virtuoso instrumentalist, and while 'Grace Under Pressure' tends to leave more space for Alex Lifeson, and dial down on the synth sounds, this is still not a remedial move as Rush go for a Genesis-like 80s style of synth-rock that generally does not allow them to unfold the potential of their writing or playing. On a more positive note, some of the good material on here is to be heard within songs like 'Distant Early Warning', 'The Body Electric', or 'Between the Wheels' - just the dynamics of this record are lackluster, and the album tends to be a bit too formulaic for Rush standards.

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