THIS STRANGE ENGINE

While a few songs on "This Strange Engine" do warrant some attention for their emotive lyrics and fine composition, the album as a whole is very underwhelming with little that will really stick with the listener for any period of time-- especially when we know what he band is capable of after "Brave" and "Afraid of Sunlight".

For the most part, the songs are very laid-back and straightforward, with h singing his heart out (as always) with occasionally brilliant lyrics and the band emphasizing on textures and atmosphere; Rothery has few solos, all of which contribute to the slightly melancholy, sleepy sound of this album. Worst of all, however, is Kelly's painfully tacky synth solos, which imitate trumpets and violins and sound very out of place (and there's a lot of them). Most of the songs have a slightly more accessible sound to them, and don't pack the punch of previous efforts.

Yet, after many listens there are a few that will hit soft-spots in dedicated fan's hearts, but this is a poor place to begin listening to a great band.

Songwriting: 2 Instrumental Performances: 2 Lyrics/Vocals: 2 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2