THE LIGHT

I'm actually speechless. Not by the record, but by my reactions. Am I the only one thinking this is not the real mckoy? I've heard so, so many comments on how superior this record is. Well, I'm disappointed. I've heard too much and my expectations were...well...I tought they were prog-messiahs. But, listening a lot to it and trying to figure myself back in 1995 (I was listening to Bristish-pop at that time...Blur, Oasis, Supergrass, Pulp, Elastica, Menswear, Echobelly and Sleeper) made me realize that the stuff was seriously refreshing. I mean, the influences are there but Neal Morse has a cool rocker voice and the pace is agressive at times and relatively fast. But, once again at that time, I already knew Images and Words from Dream Theater and The Light doesn't matches it (and I'd be still not blowed). Echolyn does it better. Except in one category....noisyness. Morse has the knack to make his songs VERY noisy and distorded at times. A little break of noise here and there is great innovation. Alan Morse's guitar make me think of Joey Santiago's in the Pixies. Big distortion breaks and telephone-like voices. A bit of Sonic Youth also, for the distortion noises. But somebody's got to do something for the lyrics. I know Morse's a VERY religious person, he should be more aware of what he writes. Man those lyrics blow serious chunks. The funniest one: "I am senior Valasco, I drink my milk with tabasco....". Made me laugh out loud. Great sense of humor or he has exceptionnaly nothing to say (maybe a relative of J-Kwon?). I vote for the sense of humor. But I'm not laughing when it comes to free obscenity. The FU song really made me shake my head in disapproving. I don't wanna be the local Flanders, but there is some other ways to express feelings than using poisonous insults. Anyway, a great album to explore and to see that America, against all odds, knows good prog.