GRIME

I must admit, the Musea release of this compact disc, that almost doubles the original album's length by adding in live tracks, makes this album worthwhile. The original nine tracks, while not awful, are nothing special either. They are a mixture of many seventies styles, and seems to coalesce best when the band is playing mellow passages.

My main problem are some of the vocals. There seems to be this trend that pops up among avant garde minded bands of shouting at the listener. And Grime seemed to like to add a healthy dose of maniacal shouting and some burst of deranged laughter. None of it fits with the music.

Then there is the second half, the live tracks. Suddenly, this band shows it's value. The shouting is toned way down, and the music is played with an intensity that the studio portion doesn't come close to. And the songs are much more interesting. There is more adventurous compositions, with the pieces coming right to the edge or RIO.

I'd give two stars to the studio tracks, and four to the live tracks.