DAY FOR NIGHT

Spock's Beard plunged headfirst into pop territory with their fourth release. Were this the band's only offering, they likely would have been relegated to Crossover. Their sound is still in tact, but most of the arrangements sit comfortably in a stale verse-chorus pattern. While there are some good songs present, nothing at all is outstanding- neither the compositions nor the performance of them. This is an exercise in mediocrity, the lackluster result of Spock's Beard trying to imitate Spock's Beard.

"Day for Night" Perhaps the best offering on this unpopular Spock's Beard album, it has an uplifting main theme musically, with a strong and memorable chorus, something that can be found in quite a bit of this band's work. It boasts a gentler yet melodic middle section, led by acoustic guitar. Very strong guitar and organ solos follow.

"Gibberish" In the vein of "Thoughts," this song features those complex vocal sections in the style of Gentle Giant, but musically carries on with a harder and discombobulated edge- all aptly titled, methinks.

"Skin" A great, straightforward rock song, "Skin" has a catchy chorus and some fun instrumentation.

"The Distance to the Sun" Acoustic guitar, piano, and a pair of vocals make up the quietest song on the album.

"Crack the Big Sky" The longest single track on the album gives the band's bassist ample opportunity work out both his fretted and fretless instruments. The song blends jazz and symphonic rock throughout.

"The Gypsy" Nasty, noisy, and almost painful to listen to, "The Gypsy" is really the worst song on the album. When it isn't irritating, it's irritatingly cliché.

"Can't Get It Wrong" Piano and violin make up this pop ballad, again the victim of clichés, both musically and lyrically. It has an ELO sound to it.

"The Healing Colors of Sound Part 1" The introduction to the suite that concludes the album is a mishmash of heavy electric guitars and modulated strings. When things finally do become melodic, it makes me think of very good video game music.

"My Shoes" A heavily-modulated guitar provides the stark backdrop for the vocal work. Dark, jazzy piano makes up the latter part of the track.

"Mommy Comes Back" Goofy bass and electric guitar make all manner noises throughout this part. Every Spock's Beard album with Neal Morse on board has a song or two with some really godawful lyrics, it seems. This is it.

"Lay It Down" Reflective and thoughtful, this more peaceful moment of the album is a highlight for me. It refrains from the cheese in which much of the rest of the album greedily indulges.

"The Healing Colors of Sound Part 2" The second most coherent part of the suite, this is easy enough to follow, but lacks anything of note.

"My Shoes (Revisited)" The album ends a bit better, courtesy of a fresh reprise of an earlier segment, topped by some stellar lead guitar playing.