SKYWARD

Just because an album attempts to do everything right in the eyes of the progressive rock community, it doesn't always mean it will turn out as successfully as hoped. Acuity is an American prog project started by multi- instrumentalist Bradley Styes who seems to play every instrument on this album (besides violin which was played by Matthew Parmenter on the track "Cul-de-sacs of Venus"). Since then, the project has essentially gone quiet with no new releases. The music found here can be best described as "hard-edged symphonic prog" with an overall dark tone. There is also an incorporation of various influences such as Van Der Graff Generator and Rush. Despite the tracks themselves varying widely there are common concepts and sounds that effectively bring it all together into one cohesive album. Unfortunately, it is plagued by poor production which results in most tracks feeling flat. There are points where you expect a new burst of energy to come in, but due to the poor production almost all that energy is missing. Just listen to the drums, they appear to be way too low in the mix during the majority of the album.

There are three shorter tracks (Vector, State of the Art Love Song, and Cul-de-sacs of Venus) and three epics (Transcendence (Culture of Hospice), Milwaukee - An Essay on Morbid Hysteria, and Voyager). The shorter tracks are generally lighter in nature, with the first two seeming to draw the listener in to the album while the last lets the listener have a moment of composure before being introduced to yet another epic. These three epics are the main showcases on the album. The first epic, Transcendence (Culture of Hospice) clocks in at nearly fifteen minutes. The track covers the gloomy topic of an old man waiting for his death. There are numerous parts that are quite interesting, such as the middle section in which the music becomes disjointed as various keyboard sounds are introduced before resolving. However, the track is brought down by the generally poor vocals found all over the album. This album is desperately begging for a real vocalist to be brought in, but I suppose Bradley Styes wanted to take credit as the sole performer on most of the album. The track closes as Bradley Styes seems to have forgotten what to say next, which works quite well as an intentional conclusion. Milwaukee - An Essay on Morbid Hysteria doesn't attempt to lighten the lyrical tone as this epic is about a serial killer and cannibal. Some lyrics on this track and others, are absolutely dreadful and in poor taste. They seem to be chosen just for the sake of being weird. An album can be dark, but it shouldn't feel forced. Nevertheless, the track moves between its nine sections quite well and clocks in at twenty two minutes in length. There are also various instrumental sections that contain altering styles and moods that contrast the vocal sections nicely. The last epic, Voyager, is unquestionably the strongest track on the album clocking in at over seventeen minutes. The lyrics seem to suggest a topic of both space and fantasy. Possibly a thought-provoking journey through the universe, who knows? The track commences with a trumpet-like sound coming from the keyboards before an acoustic guitar presents the first vocal melody. Not too long after, a keyboard build-up is established that continues up until around the eight minute and forty second mark. This section practically has a jazz-fusion type of feel. The anticipation built up during the course of this section grabs the listeners attention brilliantly as they ponder what will be next. Similarly, the track also concludes with an instrumental build-up, but this time more focused on the guitar.

Bradley Styes is unquestionably a talented musician, as he performs using an array of instruments throughout these six tracks surprisingly well. However, the poor production and vocals contributes to the album being an overall unremarkable listening experience. Despite there being moments of true excellence, it ultimately falls short on what I believe Bradley Styes attempted to accomplish. Acuity is a name that I hope to hear again in the future, as this debut album displays a multitude of potential. "I pray for my health in one hand and [&*!#] in the other, would the weight equal out?"

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