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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Spacebear

Straight for the Sun

Review by Gary Hill

This is quite an effective modern rock set. The only real problem is that taken as a whole album, it has a tendency toward feeling a bit monolithic. Each song by itself works quite well, though. This is classy modern rock with some intriguing twists here and there.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Without You

They pound of the gate with hard edged energy. This is very much in the vein of nu-metal. It’s not particularly original, but it’s very well done. The vocals are melodic, landing more in the area of alternative rock. The instrumental jam mid-track takes into some seriously psychedelic, almost progressive rock territory. That part really does pull it out of the realm of somewhat generic nu-metal.

Blue
The hooks on this are catchy, and the vocals are melodic. There is a bit of a punk rock edge to it, though. That lands this one more in the vein of alternative rock than metal.
Echoes of Sunday
This thing is amazing. It has a great almost proggy fusion vibe on the mellower movements. It powers up to harder edged modern alternative rock in the more rocking sections. It’s mature, compelling and powerful. Yet, it’s also entertaining.
Electric Sheep
There is a really bouncy kind of vibe to this piece. It has some of that power-pop element again. It’s also quite meaty. It combines harder rocking sections with a bit mellower ones. Yet, there is an accessibility presented throughout. This is quite a diverse and dynamic ride, really.
Waiting on You
This is another alternative rocker with a great balance between the softer and more hard rocking movements. There are early sections that are complex and reflective. It eventually works out into screaming hot, and yet quite catchy, alternative rock (with hints of power-pop).
Hope’s Gone
The early sections of this have some vocals that really don’t work for me. Once it gets past that mellow movement, though, this powers out into some great alternative rock. The instrumental section again brings us into some progressive rock territory for a bit.
Constellation
This has some decent hooks and rocks out pretty well. It’s just not different enough or substantial enough to really stand out from the rest of the music here. Taken by itself, it’s fine. At the end of the album, it’s just bit too samey.

 

 
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