OBSKYR

1. "Le Voleur" (11:47) a fresh attempt at Zeuhl (really?) that is horrid! (19/25)

2. "Vildsvinsvisan" (4:29) Nice bass play with some other nice elements that never develop or fly. (8.5/10)

3. "The Long Eared Owl" (4:17) an interesting weave that could/should really go somewhere. They try at 1:30 (is this spliced in?) with a shift and then the addition of full drums and soaring lap pedal steel at the 2:00 mark. Nice melodies coming from several directions. Now this is where I hope these guys go in their development! (9/10)

4. "Anti Shadows" (4:29) the opening belies the successful jam that does ensue. The guitarist sounds like he's using the chords and sound of RADIOHEAD's "Optimistic." interesting achromatic soloing from the pedal steel in the middle. (8.5/10)

5. "Vise Versa" (6:13) a little more quirky like PINGVINORKESTERN here. (8/10)

6. "Half Man Half Me" (6:01) sounds like COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE's Post Rock with a Dick Parry-like saxophone soloing overt the top. In the third minute it turns simple JIMMY WEBB-like guitar chords and bass with some synth strings beneath. Almost a slow swing dance! Then it goes into a more electro-pop weave for the final two minutes. Cinematic. (8.5/10)

7. "The End and the End Again" (3:37) echo guitar picked and slid along the fretboard while the band members position themselves in the background. It's as if the guitarist is searching for something that will draw the other members into a jam. In the second minute it finally starts to happen. Some cool incidentals added by the drummer and keyboard player, but, truly, this is no practiced/written composition and could never be replicated. Good thing the tapes were recording. (8/10)

Total Time 40:53

An album of songs that feel as if they were taken from a weekend of taping whatever these five "musicians" threw at the mics. (I would know: I've done the same!) Some of it works, some of it fails.

C/three stars; an somewhat interesting jam band with potential and creativity.