ADULT CONTEMPORARY

1. "Gadnuk (Breaker of Worlds)" (5:22) a bluesy instrumental very familiar to those who've heard the Margot album. Nice keys and horns; tight drums and bass. (8.5/10)

2. "Fruit Fly" (6:24) silly folk fun that makes me think I'm sitting on a porch on a sweltering hot day in the South. Once the music kicks in, it's more danceable jazz with a kind of Dr. John vocal and a tight musical merengue-like weave. (8.5/10)

3. "Alchemy" (4:26) opens with a bluesy-reggae feel to it before the loose, almost comical "late night drunk" vocal takes the lead. Wonderful organ work on this one! Awesome key changes at 2:45 and 3:20. (8.5/10)

4. "Déjà Vu (0:44) is a gorgeous little piano "étude" in a Joni Mitchell/Bill Evans vein. (10/10)

5. "Run Out (5:05) my immediate and continued favorite song on the album (of course! it has a very odd time signature!) Just hypnotic and gorgeous! Prog perfection--with trumpet! Probably my favorite song of the year! (10/10)

6. "Late July (5:10) a blues-jazzy musical base for a visually descriptive vocal. Again, early STEELY DAN comes up for me ("St. Louis Toodle-oo")--though the playfulness of HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED also comes to mind. These guys are surely having so much fun! Just listen to that fourth minute! And then there's that trumpet, that wonderful trumpet... (8.5/10)

7. "Lurks (6:07) another unpredictable string of themes and styles rendered to perfection as only Unaka Prong can. Though not necessarily needed, the guest vocal of a female is welcomed--and lovely. Do you think John Hargett has fun playing this one! (Bang, bang, bang!) And the rap appearance, again, is always welcome--especially the way these guys do it. Great keyboard work, Chris Pope! (9/10)

8. "Heartburn (6:11) Up taking me out into the realms of the Stones, Radiohead, and even Dave Matthews Band. (8.5/10)

9. "Lake Jam #1 (5:41) pure jazz pop like a Larry Carlton/Joe Sample/The Crusaders tune with the ever clever and happy UP shifts, bridges, and touches. These guys are so creative! Nice guitar rant in that fifth minute, Daniel! (9/10)

10. "Maeng Da (Lake Jam #4) (3:25) opens as a pretty little piano suite before the rhythm'n'blues-backers join in and make it special. Beautiful song. Love the slide guitar and muted trumpet. (10/10)

11. "Narcese (4:27) upbeat, hard-drivin' blues-rock in the Southern bluesy vein. Proficient but not my cup of tea. (8/10)

12. "Fairweather Friend (1:41) a real odd duck--a late night drinking dirge--cute but standing out for it's difference. (7/10)

13. "Highway Drivin' (3:37) U2 did it, Elvis Costello and Mark Knopfler, too, so why not Unaka Prong? Again, I get it, appreciate it, but, it's just not my cup of tea. (6.5/10)

14. "Too Far Gone (5:23) one of those songs that you can loop to replay over and over--especially on a nice summer day on the dock. Gorgeous and maybe as perfect as perfect can get (especially in that it's lyrics/singing are waxing rhapsodic over a girl. Ahh! The joys of life!) (10/10)

15. "As we Agreed (6:58) nothing extraordinary or particularly innovative (despite the Hackett-esque guitar and trumpet effects used in the fifth minute). (8/10)

A solid, excellent offering of diverse somewhat proggy music.