SPICES, SPECIES AND POETRY PETROL

1. "¡Quela Puente!" (2:42) clever, sophisticated lyrics delivered over a fairly straightforward hard rock motif. (8.75/10)

2. "The Plastic Landscaper" (3:07) more standard rock 'n' roll with very clever lyrics and impressive vocal delivery. (8.75/10)

3. "The Power of Swankle(tm)" (4:11) quirky rock-jazz fusion with made-up television/radio game show samples employed in the lyrics slots." Quite a little Frank Zappa imitation here. (9/10)

4. "I'd Be Your Weakness" (5:05) effecting a huge change in directions with this slow, melodic CSN&Y/MOON SAFARI-like tune. Vocals being delivered totally with a harmonized multi-voice choral approach. (8.875/10)

5. "Daytime Escape / Veijo the Rattlesnake" (8:37) acoustic guitar and flute-based rock music with a rather Stephen Stills/Dave Mason-like vocal delivery. Big shift at 4:50 into a heavier motif as distortion-filled electric guitars take over with their KANSAS-like sophisticated power chord progressions. Big props to the rhythm section for keeping it spicy throughout. Vocals rejoin in a choral form in the seventh minute: they sound poppy, almost like THE COWSILLS or FIFTH DIMENSION before the lead guitar starts to rip up the soundscape with its shredding. Interesting song. (17.5/20)

6. "Rapist's Tango" (3:37) starts out sounding like sounds RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS--on many levels (especially vocally)--with some jazzy ZAPPA-like bridges and codas. Jime Goldworth's vocal performance is very theatric, using multiple voice stylings to express different "characters."(?) A QUEEN-like motif starts at 2:40 and plays out to the song's finish. (8.75/10)

7. "Erg" (0:39) a little interlude of classical chamber music. Perfect! The spirit of Gentle Giant lives on! (5/5)

8. "Your Turn to Run" (5:24) back to the sophisticated vocal-oriented rock music from the album's opening two songs. Clever flute and jazzy guitar instrumental bridges between the vocal passages. Such a clever, well-composed song. As I said above: the spirit of Gentle Giant lives on! (And Frank!) (And Punk!) (9.125/10)

9. (1.) "Innocence" orchestral strings and female voices counter Jim's gives this a very MOODY BLUES and feel. Brillliant and beautiful! (9/10) (2.) "Voices of the Shadows" moving from pastoral into rock 'n' roll, this one takes on a 1960s WHO and early QUEEN feel with its multi-voice harmonized vocals and heavily effected psychedelic instruments. Ends with 20 seconds of chords of pure NEKTAR! PINK FLOYD! (8.875/10) (3.) "The Relief" (10:07) clarinet provides the lead over this Southern Rock-feeling acoustic start. As solid as ever with the rhythm section's support. The final 30 seconds sees the stripped down strumming of barely-amplified, untreated electric guitars as the clarinet finishes and fades. (8.75/10)

Total Time 43:29

Clever, witty, lyrcs-driven rock that reminds me a lot of 1970s bands FRANK ZAPPA, GENTLE GIANT, as well as THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, URIAH HEEP, BLACK SABBATH, KANSAS, and QUEEN. A much more mature and polished collection of songs than their 2005 debut.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of sophisticated retro-prog rock. Highly recommended to all prog lovers--especially if you loved the quirky parts of "classic prog rock."

Share this JEAVESTONE review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to BrufordFreak
• Report this review (#1581339)
• Buy JEAVESTONE music online with PA partners
• Show all JEAVESTONE MP3/Stream
• Go to JEAVESTONE page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Spices, Species and Poetry Petrol page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for JEAVESTONE related discussions