UNSETTLED

Dean Watson is one talented guy if I've ever heard one. As a matter of fact, he's the type of musician that everybody's envious of. With his debut album, Unsettled, Dean plays all the instruments, composes all of the music, and then went on to mix, master, and self release the album all in less than one year. What's even more shocking is that Unsettled is actually an incredible album! Often times these 100% solo works can end up a bit messy in the end, but Dean Watson's proved that a completely solo album can still be very successful if done right.

The music on Unsettled is a pretty diverse jazz rock sound. Expect to hear plenty of influences from progressive rock, metal, and even some ambient and post rock sounds. If you're the type of guy who is only into the 70's jazz rock classics, this diversity may come as an issue for you. For everyone else (myself included), this diversity is part of what makes Unsettled so great. Songs like Out of the Mist (which is a beautiful work of art) are extremely unique and highly enjoyable. There are some more traditional-sounding jazz rock tunes (like Orb, The Push, and Sequence of Events), and these are great as well. For me, instrumental albums usually tend to drag on, but Dean Watson pulls off a 52 minute album with consistency and ease thanks to his diversified sound.

As you could imagine from such a spectacular solo album, the musicianship is pretty great as well. It honestly amazes me that Dean Watson has completely mastered so many instruments. It seems that his keyboard playing often takes the spotlight, but the other instruments are also played professionally.

The production is an acquired taste, but I like it. It's very clean and sharp, but it suits the music pretty well. A warm, welcoming seventies jazz rock production just wouldn't have worked here in my opinion.

Conclusion:

Unsettled is a really great album from Dean Watson. It's rare that I hear a solo album this good, and I highly recommend all fans of jazz rock and prog to check this 2010 gem out. The songwriting, performances, and the overall quality of Unsettled makes it one of the best prog fusion albums to come out this year. 4 stars are warranted for such a great release.

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