CLOCKWORK ANGELS

The album seems to be getting a lot of praise and I am happy to report that the praise is well deserved. Clockwork Angels is indeed their best album in a number of years (at least since Counterpoints, if not Grace Under Pressure).

While it may not be significantly more "prog" than Snakes & Arrows, I would argue that the album does *feel* more like a "prog" album than anything Rush has made in the past 30 years. Part of that probably comes from the consistency of being a pretty good concept album, but the overall songwriting and production *does* genuinely "progress" from the previous half dozen albums or so. The end result is something of a mix of their more recent output with something much more grandiose without reverting to their classic sound.

Speaking about the concept, it's left more open to interpretation on the actual album, but the lyrics booklet adds some narrative that helps spell it out more clearly. If you are familiar with Neil Peart's writing, then the themes expressed will likely feel pretty familiar. Peart is on top of his game this album, however, and the lyrics are some of his best work.

Overall: Clockwork Angels may not quite be on par with their classic albums, but it is certainly a large step up in Rush's game this late in their career. It has an energy and ambition you don't see in many four decade old bands. Let's hope they can keep it up for many years to come!

Highlights: "Caravan", "BU2B", "Clockwork Angels", "Seven Cities of Gold", "Headlong Flight", "The Garden"

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