UNSETTLED

Having never heard of Dean Watson or any of his numerous projects before listening to 'Unsettled,' I can safely say that I had no idea what to expect from the music, or any preconceptions about the man's work. Yet as the chaotic resonance of the album's opener 'The Encounter' entered my ears, I could tell that this was going to be a memorable, if not captivating journey, at the very least. This talented artist hailing from the cultural center of Canada has produced a very skilled instrumental voyage with 'Unsettled,' and despite a few flaws in the execution of the piece, I am glad I have been introduced to this music.

Don't be fooled by the 'jazz' label of the music, 'Unsettled' has more in kin with instrumental rock and progressive metal than proper fusion. Crossing my ears as a pleasant mixture of Joe Satriani's soaring guitar wizardry and some of Dream Theater's heavier, proggy riffs with a few Pat Metheny nuances for good measure, it makes for a great formula for an instrumental venture. While the album does maintain much of the same 'sound' throughout, the music dazes through a number of different emotions and dynamic typesets, making sure that each song has something fresh to offer to the table, and not merely a rehash of the track before.

While the music is energetic and vibrant, at times it feels like Watson relies a bit too heavily on 'soloing' and skill showboating over actual songwriting substance. While he is clearly a brilliant musician, it can feel like his soloing style lacks melodic girth; a trait made all the more important due to the lack of vocal work here.

While 'Unsettled' is primarily a guitar-driven business, the musical highlight rests on the brilliance of the keyboard work here. An educated and experienced keyboardist, Dean makes vibrant use of his skill, throwing a wide range of key sounds into the mix; synths to string sections to light piano and rock organ. One thing I noticed that the man does particularly well is the harmonized keyboard soloing technique; something that any fan of Dream Theater will be well-familiarized with. The proggy rocker 'Sequence Of Events' demonstrates this very well.

While I have criticized Watson's lack of melody in his solo playing, the heartfelt track 'The Departure' is a sure claim that he can make stunning melodies work wonders in his lead work. Sounding much like a love song plucked from Joe Satriani's discography, Dean plays beautifully, paying careful attention to making each note perfect in it's execution. As the song reaches it's pinnacle, some heaviness enters the mix, led onward by a strong vibraphone lick. With that being said, 'The Departure' may very well be my favourite track off of the disc.

In conclusion, Watson has made an impressive instrumental bout here. While not perfect by any stretch and at times excessive, 'Unsettled' is energetic and intelligent, and sure to appeal to anyone looking for an exciting instrumental work to dig into. There are a few moments in the album that don't serve the flow well (the overdrawn piece 'Out Of The Mist,' in particular) but this is an album that is easy to listen to from start to finish. With each new listen to 'Unsettled,' there will always be something new to notice.

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