UP

3.5 stars. I like the fact that this album has the same style throughout, there seems to be a common thread musically with these tracks. I like the melancholia too but for the life of me I don't know why I have no patience with this album. It's all I can do to get through it which of course means i'm not really enjoying the music (no kidding). I don't know what it is with solo Gabriel albums but i'll take Wyatt or Hammill solo records over anything Gabriel has ever created since he left GENESIS. And GENESIS is one of my top five bands.

"Darkness" kicks in with a mechanical-like rhythm section. A calm with mellow vocals around a minute as contrasts continue.Then reserved vocals,piano and a beat take over around 2 1/2 minutes.That mechanical rhthym is back as themes are repeated. "Growing Up" features reserved vocals and a beat. It's catchy when the sound gets fuller. "Sky Blue" has the focus on the vocals. We do get piano and a beat standing out as well. "No Way Out" has a good chorus where the sound picks up although you'd think he was going to start to sing "Red Rain".

"I Grieve" has a deeper sound to it with deeper vocals as well.There's more life 5 minutes in. It then settles back before 7 minutes to end it. "The Barry Williams Show" has a catchy beat with vocals.The lyrics are funny.The sound picks up on the chorus. "My Head Sounds Like That" is mellow with a light beat and piano. Melancholical vocals a minute in. "More Than This" is a song that annoys me to no end, especially the chorus when it slows down. "Signal To Noise" is my favourite. I just love the atmosphere and I find it really interesting to listen to. "The Drop" ends the album with piano and reserved vocals.

A good album especially considering how late this is in his career (2002).