CELEBRATION

Marco, the wizard of endless imagination and talent has done it again. Another stellar release where he writes all the music, plays all instruments, and mixed and engineered the album. This is addictive stuff that gets better all the time. Every song brings a different atmosphere and mood to the table and it all works. About half the album is instrumental and the other tunes are sprinkled with vocals. Standout tracks for me include - "Miami" which is reminiscent of Mike Keneally's experimental material but doesn't go off the deep end and still sounds musical. "How Can I Help You?" is amazing; a sort of a jazzy ditty with intense drumming that does not let up. What's even more amazing is I bet Marco nailed this drum track on the first take. The slow song "Greatest Gift in Life" is a very cool ballad. "Have a Great 3015" has an upbeat groove (more incredible drumming) that makes you want to bust some moves and the dissonant pitched guitar effect really spices things up. All through the album Marco uses his production skills to record multiple tracks of different guitar parts to thicken the sound and it sounds killer. "Thoughts Take Shape" starts off with another groovy rhythm that brings the vibraphone (or keyboard?) into the mix and morphs into an experimental outro. Like most of these tunes they change direction several times during each song and that is what makes them interesting. "Amina's Birthday" is another winner, where Marco's syncopated layered guitar parts shine.

Overall, I'm impressed. What an album. Thanks Marco.