SIGNALS

Rarely have Rush sounded so fresh and alive than on Signals. Signals seems to alienate many fans who see it as a drastic turning point in the band's sound. However, not all that much has changed here, and there's certainly nothing they didn't warn you was coming. Synths take over a more prevalent role, but they are far from dominating the music. They're integrated nearly perfecting being as much as part of the songs as every other instrument without any being overshadowed. The band drops any aspiration of sprawling epics and focuses on more concise song writing in the spirit of songs such as "YYZ" and "Spirit of Radio." Musically the band plays just as stunningly as on any other album, especially Alex who delivers much better lead work than on Moving Pictures.

Some of the absolute highlights from the band can be heard here. The album opener "Subdivisions" features a haunting synth line over some intricate rhythmic interplay and ranks in my top ten Rush songs of all time. "Losing It" featuring violin by Ben Mink and the lyrical "The Analog Kid" make up two more highlights of an album that's nearly all highlight. I have some minor complains with the album's close "Countdown" which never really captured my attention and ends a fantastic album on a rather dull note. Despite the stigma attached to Signals, it's every bit as good, if not better, than Moving Pictures or any other album in Rush's discography. The sound is not as drastically different as many people tend to let off; And the band plays with more energy than it had since Hemispheres. It should appeal to even those with a minor interest in Rush.