Search - Reasoning :: Awakening

Vocals, vocals, and more amazing vocals!

Paul W. Duet | New Orleans, LA United States | 11/12/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Reasoning... a prog ensemble with 3 strong lead vocalists.. are no doubt a great band. I was never a fan of Magenta or any of the bands this band was born of, but the quality of the vocal melodies here are just stunning. Almost every song leaves about 3 or 4 very catchy vocal melodies swimming around your head. The first time I heard the album, I was a bit put off by the production.. being a home studio prog rock freak, I know I could have produced this album better than whoever did it. The rhythm section (bass and drums) are hidden way far back in the mix.. musically, the guitar playing and the guitar tones are just horrible. The producer should be ashamed of how the guitar solos sound so antiquated and so decidedly unclean and un-prog (with the exception of Marillion's Rothery showing everybody how it's done on the last song).. I also wonder how much pitch correction was used on the vocals... they sound heavily doctored, and watching clips of the band performing live confirm that the vocals aren't so sweet on stage as they are in the studio.



Highlights:

** The title track "Awakening" is very predictable standard prog.. it's almost as though they used a template.. but the vocal melodies make up for it, in my opinion. I get chills when the keyboard player busts out the line "we stood on a hill, the wind went through our hair" .. it's tasty stuff.

** "Playing The Game" is one of the best songs on the album. The vocal melodies are unforgettable and timeless.. amazing hooks all over the place.. the bass playing and piano playing are also very tasteful and impressive.

** "Sacred Shape" is by far my favorite song on this album.. it's so textbook prog, I know.. but these guys pull it off masterfully. I love the overtly proggy lyrics "but here's the part that no science can explain" .. the acoustic and slide guitar work isn't bad, either. I just love this song.. I know it's cheesy as hell, but it's so good, I can't get enough of it.



Some of the songs are downright bad.. songs like "Aching Hunger" and "Fallen Angel" could have used more time in the post-production room.. they don't sound very tight or convincing here.



In closing, I need to emphasize that despite my criticisms, I really like this band and I hope they find a good producer and take their time on their second album. They would do well to hire a lead guitarist, also. This album is so prog that at times it almost sounds like a joke.. but these guys are for real.. and I love textbook prog as much as anyone. To any prog rock fan, I recommend at least buying a few of the MP3's and check out the crazy good vocal hooks."