ROLL THE BONES

The synthesizers, which had almost completely disappeared on "Presto" return, and while they are no longer the protagonists, their supporting role is joined by Geddy Lee's flawless vocal performances, Alex Lifeson's riffs, and Neil Peart's percussion, mainly focused on merging with the melodies, so that "Roll the Bones" transmits a sense of more harmony and feels less rudimentary than its predecessor.

Keeping the scheme of short songs, the best is in the first part, with the anxious "Dreamline", the neat "Bravado" very clean and lively, surely the best track on the album, and the striking "Roll the Bones" with its catchy chorus and that more than surprising nod to rap, in a new demonstration of the versatility of Rush to incorporate elements of other musical currents without complexes.

After the stunned "Face Up" and the instrumental "Where's My Thing ..." (the melody could easily be part of "Power Windows" or "Hold You Fire"), the album remains coherent, but the spark seems to lose strength, it is reactivated with the intense "Heresy", and ends up taking the car correctly to a cruising speed without major emotions on the road until the closing with "You Bet Your Life".

Without being the most brilliant of Rush's discography, "Roll the Bones" is a good album, and it's well worth betting a few coins on...

3 stars