FALL

This album is innocuous and listenable enough but there's nothing here drawing me back. The music is too simplistic and too computer-generated (with agonizingly poor computer sound generations of all strings and synths). M. Nixon is a good guitarist, okay vocalist (VERY similar to ROINE STOLT), fair songwriter in the PINK FLOYD vein, but many of his compositions lack sophistication and high production standards.

1. "Fall" (1:55) nice intro to the album--though it's dynamic extremes give us a misleading feel for the style and pace to follow. (9/10)

2. "Silent Code" (7:19) easily the best song on the album with the best instrumental arrangements and sound engineering plus an excellent, unusual jazzy guitar solo at the end. (9/10)

3. "Names In The Stone" (4:54) sounds EXACLY like a ROINE STOLT composition. (8/10)

4. "Toll" (3:02) nice mostly instrumental song despite poor sound engineering. (8/10)

5. "Playing God" (5:04) a very good song that sounds/feels oddly familiar. NOSOUND? MYSTERY? PT? NINE STONES CLOSE? (9/10)

6. "Exit Wound" (5:38) a nearly-unlistenable opening section is saved by a wonderful middle and end section. (8/10)

7. "Enigma" (8:02) a pleasant piano-based song that sounds a lot like ROINE STOLT--even the Gilmour-like guitar solos. (8/10)

8. "The Middle Game" (7:45) another pleasurable near-prog, mostly Pink Floyd-ish song that proves forgettable. This music is so close to that of TONY PATTERSON's wonderful work on his 2016 release, Equations of Meaning, only lacking something. (Nick Magnus?) (8/10)

9. "Trough Of War" (4:06) an irritable guitar sound opening turns my mood against this one. Unfortunately, nothing much happens to change my mind. (6/10)

10. "Solace" (1:04) pleasant, creepy instrumental interlude. (8/10)

11. "Sleep Under The Flag" (3:14) pretentious poetry reading that you or I could do on our computer. 'Strings' arrangement at the end are the only redeeming factor. (7/10)

12. "Another Same" (3:32) catchy acoustic guitar piece that could fit on any indie rock album. (8/10)

13. "October" (5:43) pure Roger Waters drivel. (7/10)

14. "Exit Wound (Let It Go...)" (5:40) a remake of song #6. I just can't get over that opening section. (8/10) (bonus track)

3.5 to four star record; try it for yourself.