RISE

Most prog albums seem to be of the deep, philosophical nature these days. It is so commonplace for serious matter to be conveyed and then along comes Steve Unruh and his fine band of musicians and put out an album that is of the highest quality but more importantly...lighthearted and fun! I only recently discovered Unruh and his solo albums and really enjoy his style. Then I realized he had an actual band and I really wanted to see what Resistor was all about. I was instantly drawn in by the incredible level of talent and the eclectic, folksy style. This album has great moments throughout the first half and I really enjoy the instrumental Spaghetti on track 3. But once you get to the 2nd half of the album, you can't help but listen with a little grin once you figure out what is going on. Tracks 7-16 are called The Land of No Groove and tell of a goofy little story that rivals Puff the Magic Dragon. It's not meant to be taken too serious and that is what I love about this album. It's fun natured but the music never lacks in quality. The story is accompanied by some great musical moments as well as some down right bizarre lyrical content..."But Barry was trained in Eastern Meditation & combined with the adrenaline, he experienced an odd clarity of focus. He assembled his drumkit and prepared to chase away the beast by unleashing a frenzied flurry of drum fills!" That about sums up what you can expect. But given the silliness found on this album, don't discount this album as a whole. Repeated listens have been great and I ranked this my #1 album for year 2010. Is this a masterpiece? I am not ready to say it's quite on that level but time will tell. For now, a solid 4 stars! Very well done. I look forward to what Steve and his band of travelers come up with next!