LIFELINE

I almost regret to write that for the first time, I'm utterly disappointed with a Neal Morse effort. Take Heaven In My Heart from SOLA SCRIPTURA and make an album out of it. Only even less inspired. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with the idea of Morse making an album full of mostly ditties. But the ditties here are nowhere near as gripping as past efforts like Wind At My Back, Father Of Forgiveness, or Wasted Life. To make matters worse, the album's epic, So Many Roads, feels almost as uninspired.

Simply put, LIFELINE lacks that special emotional flair that Morse always seemed to incorporate into his music so naturally. That carefree immersion in the soul has been replaced by a self-conscious obsession to do something different while still remaining Neal Morse, whatever that means.

I can only hope that LIFELINE is just a speedbump, a transitory album that sheds old skin and allows Morse to venture into new territory. Morse is too good for this, and I'd argue that he'll always be this good. I'm looking forward to his next release.