SNAKES & ARROWS

This was my first Rush album; weird, right? Of course I had heard "Tom Sawyer" and other similarly famous tracks on the radio before that, and after I decided that those songs were completely awesome, I decided to purchase Rush's then-brand-new album, Snakes & Arrows.

At first I wasn't sold on the sound. Keep in mind that this was my first Rush album. My first thoughts were "where is the synth? why does this sound so dry and different?". I hadn't yet discovered that Rush changes with the times. After purchasing 2112 and Signals, I started to understand their chameleon tendencies. Only then did I start to understand the magic of this album.

The music here sounds like a dry, desert plane. It sounds like sidewinders in the sand, scorpions in their dug-holes, and the arrows of a lone traveler in this setting protecting himself from said creatures. It's a very atmospheric album as a whole, but also very rock oriented like Rush's music has always been. The three instrumentals "Hope", "The Main Monkey Business", and "Malignant Narcissism" are what I perceive as being the biggest stand out tracks on this album. "Hope" especially stands out and was the first track that I seriously enjoyed upon first listen, often playing it on repeat due it's strong beauty. Alex Lifeson is a fantastic guitarist and definitely has always had his own voice among guitarists. Neil Peart's lyrics are also fantastic as always, not to mention the his always fantastic drumming. Same with Geddy Lee - fantastic as usual.

Not a masterpiece, but far far better than their material from the '90s. This album is remarkably enjoyable through-and-through. Highly recommended.