SUFFOCATING THE BLOOM

1. "21" (5:49) dynamic, technical skilled music with power vocal about being 21 years old. The vocal seems very influenced by PETER HAMMILL even when they're amplified or harmonized by other assisting vocalists. At times the song drifts onto the stages and concert halls of Broadway and other Manhattan establishments--which is to say that the complexity and competency of the constructs and hooks are quite polished and concise. There is also a certain kinship with some of QUEEN's best music. (9/10)

2. "Winterthru" (3:45) blending SAGA-like prog with the BEACH BOYS, very tight motifs with incredible precision and cohesion. A very impressive composition and even more impressive rendering. Though not a big fan of the band's melodic choices, I am truly won over by these tight performances. (9.5/10)

3. "Memoirs From Between" (8:01) piano practice arpeggi with bass, glockespiel, and folk guitar, this music supports a JOE JACKSON-like vocal--at least for the first three minutes. Great team harmony vocals. I think I get why this band has such a loyal following. This feels like the American equivalent to GENTLE GIANT. And let me repeat how clear and well-captured are the sounds of each contributing instrument and voice. The song is weakend a little by the over-extended final motif the "Santa Claus, up ahead, ?" thingy. (13.5/15)

4. "Reaping the Harvest" (1:41) a fugue-ish exercise in orchestral keyboards? Unfortunately, the keyboard sounds used are now quite dated (and quite inferior to the real thing). (4/5)

5. "In Every Garden" (4:39) now their trying too hard to do GENTLE GIANT; it hurts to hear this kind of blatant pandering. Even the softer BEACH BOYS passages seem to be fawning to KERRY MINNEAR and GARY GREEN. The more potent Michael STADLER SAGA outbursts are much more pleasing (and, perhaps, balancing to the GG stuff). (Also: Too bad they decided to use the gated drum effect.) (8.75/10)

6. "A Little Nonsense" (4:20) opening with a little splice of Gene Wilder from Willy Wonka, the music then proceeds to enter the realm of some of Gentle Giant's, XTC's, and the Cardiac's most angular motifs and styles. (8.5/10)

7. "The Sentimental Chain" (1:40) a beautiful duet of folk guitar and flute is joined by poorly recorded versions of strings and a second flute. Pretty. (4.5/5)

8. "One Voice" (5:20) instrumentally, this one continues the palette of the previous song, but now supports a plaintive vocal performance. The emotion conveyed by the vocalist feel a bit overdone. At 2:20 the vocalist states, "For we are only human," and the the rock band bursts into full bloom before coming back to the chamber classical motif for a bit. But then the electric motif takes over again before giving the stage back to the original instrumentalists and vocalist. When the electric instruments join in, the vocalists chooses to shift his voice into a kind of suppressed operatic mode. Weird. Then it ends with an "our Father" quote. (8.75/10)

9. "Here I Am" (5:21) rockin' Echolyn--harkening back to a jazzy MOODY BLUES sound and style. The acoustic rock and jazz blend is kind of cool. A few QUEEN/SAGA-like twists and turns try to lose me--they're moving so fast!--but then they come back into a new VDGG-like center. Later, a NEKTAR "Return to the Future" guitar arpeggio backs a group of television/film samples to the end. (8.75/10)

10. "Cactapus" (2:51) early career PAT METHENY guitar sound choice--very cool--for a delicate, mood-exploring jazz sound. Jazz bass lends to this feel as well. Drums and keyboard choices don't exactly jibe, but it's a cool attempt. (4.25/5)

- "A Suite for The Everyman" (28:13) one of the greatest prog epics of the 1990s. (58/60): 11. Only Twelve (1:17) 12. A Cautious Repose (4:55) 13. Bearing Down (3:49) 14. Cash Flow Shuffle (0:39) 15. Mr. Oxy Moron (3:23) 16. Twelve's Enough (2:21) 17. I Am the Tide (1:15) 18. Cannoning in B Major (1:19) 19. Picture Perfect (0:55) 20. Those That Want to Buy (6:45) 21. Suffocating the Bloom (4:03)

Total Time: 63:39

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of intricately composed and performed eclectic progressive rock music; an excellent and nearly essential addition to any prog lover's music collection. Unfortunately, as far as I've been able to fathom, this may have been Echolyn's apogee, their shining moment in prog history.

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