INFINITY

So it's the beginning of the AOR stadium juggernaught, rife with corporate undertones and a packaged to sell set list-- but who honestly cares? Lights is one hell of a song, and if a prog-loving listener can't enjoy slumming to feel-good guitar jams like these, then there isn't much point in lauding all the really good bands we'll all agree are more artistic and inventive.

In a nutshell, this album is a collection of catchy rock-oriented fusion shimmering with vocal and guitar hooks. Schon's playing here is first rate-- very smooth, energetic, and dynamic, while Perry's (in)famous vocals are infectious in their soulful genuineness. The fact that he shares lead duties with Rolie (in the first part of the album anyway) is excellent, and it lends a diverse and rich palette to listen to-- even though this is just classic rock. The one-two-three punch of Lights, Feeling That Way, and Anytime is emotionally buoyant, and sure to put one in a good mood. I find that 3 of the later tunes are or approach filler, but the gems here far outweigh those few.

Ultimately, I feel that albums like this cleanse the palette of the deep, complex stuff we progressive listeners like to surround ourselves with, giving us a taste of saccharine sweetness before diving headlong into full-length concept albums and mutation time signatures. Infinity doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is-- a collection of nice, soulful, and approachable music... with a really, really excellent guitar player.

Songwriting: 2 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4