PRESTO

Rush concluded their fruitful and rather successful decade of the eighties with the release of 'Presto', an album that unlike its predecessor, exhibits signs of the band coming back to their rock heritage yet still embracing techniques and production values from their previous experiments with lush instrumentation and more straightforward arrangements. Generally astute, this 1989 release is a good return to form for Rush, featuring several really fine songs, although one might get the impression that something is missing, knowing how much the band had relied on synths and keyboards up until that point. With the decision to come back to a more guitar-driven sound, Rush indicated a sign of maturity in a sense, understanding that they had reached a certain level of their music that had necessitated a refreshment.

Still, we see the use of synths in a more supportive role all over 'Presto', which lyrically feels a bit more personal and maybe even adult-oriented despite not having an overarching theme like the previous album. The result of all this is a solid album that opens up with a great song ('Show Don't Tell'), is followed by a few hit-or-miss moments, has a rather strong middle and keeps the bar even until the end, offering nice tracks like 'Scars', 'Superconductor', 'Hands Over Fist' and 'Available Light'. Slightly forgettable, 'Presto' tends to sound like a feelgood soft rock album, which just doesn't necessarily fit a band who is much better at writing heavy music - good LP but not essential Rush.