THE QUIET OFFSPRING

This is my third Green Carnation purchase and I have to say, I'm not disappointed with any of them or the Acoustic Verses which I purchased after. Each album seems to have a strong unique identity and I appreciate the depth of talent in creating such varied works. While LODDOD presents a mystical world that's easy to jump in to, Blessing in Disguise rocks harder and leaner with a melodic Hammond organ bringing warmth to the music. The Quiet Offspring is more straight ahead rock with compact compelling songs. True to their progressive rock leanings though, they'll surprise you with a trip to an altogether different place and you find yourself coming right along before you realize it. One note: The vocals on this album are consistently very good.

The first tune The Quiet Offspring grabs you immediately with a hard guitar crunch and deep drums. Right away though you slide into a mellow verse with acoustics sounding nice and a strong vocal. The sound stays very interesting as it alternates between the rich acoustic sound and the hard driving electric guitar. Great chorus with ringing open strings and concise sharp drumming. While this may not be my favorite it's the one you keep in your head. Great vocals and this is the one I'd pick off the album as a hit if there is such a thing anymore.

We get a little more ambitious with the second song, Between the Gentle Small and the Standing Tall, as the more you listen to it, the more you realize it's a gem. Starting with a cool sounding warbled guitar, which I've heard from Green Carnation before and sounds reminiscent of Midnight Oil, the drums quickly bang us over to a great rocking verse with vocals that also recall Midnight Oil. Nice drums and bass here, moving along great and rocking very hard. The vocals are inspiring and exciting (Bring it ON!) and right away this is a very cool piece of music. At 2:30 or so the entire tune takes a new direction with the Hammond organ leading the way. To me this is a Green Carnation signature sound and my favorite side of them. Smooth warm organ over a pleasing beat. Nice sounding cymbals and clean shimmery guitar chording. Very nice and an album high point. Phased vocals complete the sound as the song moves ahead lushly into a guitar break promising a new direction once again. No disappointments here as a Fender Rhodes-like electric piano provides a nice melody and the band, never stronger, gives us a sound to match the best of Pink Floyd Warm, strange and interesting. Very musical. Alas, however, all great things must come to an end as we visit the original verse, just long enough to remind us where we whence came, and close o that strong note. In my opinion the best tune on the album.

With a great beat moving to a simple but effective melody on the guitar, Just When You Think It's Safe grabs you from the start. Strong vocals are the highlight here with lots of support from the bass. The chorus is strong but overall, and to this point, the song just is not that interesting until 3:11 when the piano, organ and mellotron offer some very cool sounds. Straight ahead rock guitar leads are on tap now and it seems like a call and respond with two guitars. Pretty cool. Except for this (too) brief interesting divert in the middle though this song is just average.

A Place for Me begins with a nice piano sequence, made to sound scratchy record (this has been done before), with the piano falling off to a strong, clear vocal supported by a great sounding cello. No drums yet as the sad cello and vocals own the show. A cool guitar break leads us into the heart of the song and the band simply sounds tremendous. Strong rock sound into a strange beat with the drums sounding almost like a steam-shovel. Very industrial and interesting. Unique sound. Very nice vocals with lush and strange harmonies over synthesizers. Synths rule and lead us to a strong clear beat with piano and acoustic guitar. The beat builds into a superb sounding palmed guitar lead that is simple and satisfying. Nice sound here, accessible and pleasing. We're keeping this theme and melody through the end, the sound, especially the vocals, is reminiscent of Tears for Fears, in a nice way, until the final piano chord which has a cool noir feel to it. Very good song.

Laying a mean walking beat with very crunchy guitar work, The Everlasting Moment, has its moments, especially when we move into the chorus at 1:11 or so. Dissonant notes seem to blend nicely and the sound is lush with synthesizers and the drums carry the beat nicely. Nice sweep picking on the guitar lead but all in all, this song is just average.

Purple Door, Pitch Black, despite a solid sound, good lyrics, a very good chorus and a killer guitar lead, just doesn't excite me too much. For most bands I'd consider this a great song but this is not why I'm a Green Carnation fan. This is a good sound but maybe just a little too typical of a straight ahead rock song.

Child's Play, Pt.1 takes us to a different place altogether. Nice acoustics and synthesizers start us off and immediately bring us back to why we're listening in the first place. Strange, interesting with a nice beat and great vocals. Finally the drums come in to move us along nicely and they have a strange "sonar ping" quality to them. I like this and it signals things to come with the groups next offering The Acoustic Verses. Very nice, rich, musical, interesting. Very Green Carnation.

Dead But Dreaming, straight ahead rock with a strong lead, bass and guitar. Rock.and rock is good. At 2:20 or so a very interesting and unique guitar lead. Very cool this part but the balance of the song is just average. Just average for Green Carnation though and that's pretty damn good in any book.

Pile of Doubt begins with a lush sounding church organ as the guitars build in the background towards what we know will be a mind blowing sound. And we're not wrong as this tunes explodes into a sound not unlike a freight train on steroids. Double bass drums pound out and you swear you can hear the train whistle a blowing as the guitar keeps time with bell sounding arpeggios. Rock on. Verse is strange but cool as the beat turns inside out. The chorus gives us a culmination for it all that seems just right. Great song with inspiring drums and a very good vocal performance.

Some folksy acoustic guitar and vocal work starts When I Was You with a tap drum sounding ominous in the background. Excellent drums, synths and guitar work pick up the tune and we're back in Green Carnation territory. This is the sound I signed on for. Interesting and disconcerting throughout. A gem, especially listening on headphones.

Child's Play, Pt. 2 completes the set and begins with a dark and unsettling piano. The vocals are strange but musical as the theme of the first Child's Play is revisited but in a leaner and moodier setting. The piano work gets more complex and involved still as it couples with a unique voice- synthesizer sound creating disconcerting and strange imagery. An odd listening experience but moving and powerful in its own way. Very good.

This is a great album and lives up to the consistency of quality music that I've come to expect from Green Carnation.