SUNBURST FINISH

This is one of those albums that gets better every time I hear it. The combination of great melodies with Bill Nelson's unique and eccentric style of guitar playing makes Sunburst Finish a feast for the ears.

While it may be distracting to some, I love the way Nelson changes musical styles and genres right in the middle of a song, skipping around between pop, rock, new wave, metal, latin, jazz, blues and pretty much everything else. It gives the record a crazy energy and prevents it from being a formulaic glam rock outing.

The obvious song highlights are the radio hit Ships in the Night, Sleep That Burns, and Blazing Apostles, but the slower numbers are actually quite rewarding once you give them time, and to be honest there are no weak tracks. Nelson's lyrics are very good throughout, addressing a wide range of topics, most quite different from the typical love song fare.

The bonus tracks are also very good. Shine is a trippy psychedelic jam session and Blue as A Jewel and Speed of the Wind are both very nice melodic pop songs.

This is a great record from a very underrated band. It is sure to please fans of Queen and other glam and art rock groups.