THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE

Volare's first album is solid and consistent. To a certain extent, I would agree with other reviewers that compare this album to works by jazzier Canterbury bands like Hatfield and the North and National Health. Like these bands, Volare uses light- hearted and melancholic melodies for there musical backdrop. Placed on top and juxtaposed against these are quirky rhythms and lead guitar. I could have done with less of the metallic sounding guitar leads, it seems as though they were thrown in to say "hey, we're still a rock band". A lot of the guitar leads just didn't sound like they fit. All the more understated picking/ acoustic parts on guitar are very nice and do a great job of complimenting the keyboard parts. The bass player is also the one playing sax on the album. I would have liked to see more sax weaved throughout the album, since Kessler is a fine sax player. The main reason that this album sounds like a Canterbury album (and why I like it so much) is Patrick Strawser's keyboard work. He has many similarities to Dave Stewart or Steve Miller on keys. Patrick Strawser's nimble and endearing piano work drenches almost every track; this combined with his lead syth/organ work makes him absolutely indespenscible to the sound of this album. I would also like to compliment Strawser on his choice of synth sounds; they are natural and earthy while still in keeping with a more modern sound. In my opinion, nothing ruins an album like a bunch of cold, spacey synths that are going nowhere and doing nothing rather than filling space. For some reason I always felt that Volare could have used a vocalist. I am not talking about that overbearing and pretentious singing that seems to plague a lot of newer symphonic bands, maybe just some understated vocals thrown in sparsely to hold things together. My favorite tracks on this album would have to be Abcircus, Vespers, and In Two Seconds of Time. I am giving this album 4 stars, do primarily to the heartfelt keyboard work--just listen to Strawsers Fender Rhodes part at the end of One Minute of Thought. Though Volare is disbanded, I hope to hear Patrick Strawser making more music in the future, by him or with other bands.