MY RIVER FLOWS

1. "My River Flows" (5:28) more jagged with highly-distorted electric guitar chords and vocals from the opening notes. (8.667/10)

2. "Late Night Salvation "(12:16) a wonderful PT-like song with great pace, flow, power, and engageability--and a GREAT drum solo! A really special composition. (23/25)

3. "Rose Colored Lenses" (3:40) despite the proggy sound palette, this song has a Broadway musical feel to its initial sound and structure. (8.75/10)

4. "Deception "(7:17) accordion, acoustic guitar, and bouncy WHAM! "squishy synth" backs this Broadway friendly song. These guys have a lot in common with fellow New York-based bands THE TEA CLUB and 3RDEGREE. In the middle, there, lead singer John Galgano and back up Laura Meade definitely roam onto some Broadway stage; perhaps they think they're in The Phantom or something. It's very well done, just not quite what I expect from my prog--which is probably why this passage is finished off with some very proggy instrumental soloing. (13.25/15)

5. "Crossfire" (8:33) a very melodic piano and voice opening becomes even more pop-oriented as more instruments join in and then the catchy chorus of "Hah-ahhs" take over. Enter some RUSH-like music for the instrumental "C" part. Quite a skilled and refreshing song. (18/20)

6. "Anything I Can Dream" (3:22) quite an upbeat, light-hearted, BEATLES-like tune. Quite poppy. Why couldn't this have been like a 1970s Andrew Gold pop hit? (8.7/10)

7. "Abby's Song" (3:48) this one sounds and feels like a foray into Andy Partridge/XTC territory ("Love on a Farmboy's Wages"). Nice! (8.8/10)

8. "Deafening Silence" (21:36) a pretty good epic with the help of female vocalists Anmarie Byrnes and Laura Meade. Not as melodic as I like: very few hooks that pull me in. Kind of more ELP-like in that way: sophisticated composition lacking melody. In the second half we have a kind of "Awaken" extended interlude before the heart-felt emotional three-part drama of the seventeenth and eighteenth minutes. Is it possible that Neal Morse or Arjen Anthony Lucassen (AYREON) provided inspiration for this song? (35.5/40) : - i. Realization - ii. Lesson from the Heart - iii. Deafening Silence - iv. Passage of Life - v. Sanctuary - vi. Illumination

Total Time 66:00

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece cornucopia of eclectic crossover progressive rock music. Nice and refreshing music! An excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

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