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Rating: Three years have passed since the dazzling "Office of Strategic Influence," a project initiated by Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos, from Chroma Key and Fates Warning, respectively, but all under the supervision of His Majesty Mike Portnoy.
Inevitably, after a debut album that was nearly panned by critics but that I really liked a lot, the project returns with an album that amazes me once again. "Free" is once again pearlescent: less focused on a progressive matrix and therefore more designed to hit the listener with more direct songs and simpler listening.
Their first attempt was indeed commendable, but at times suffered from the impositions of a genre that demands intricate compositions and sometimes the obligation of a suite. This, however, is really excellent even more: you can tell from the first track and the second: respectively "Sure You Will" with a techno trajectory and the rockish "Free". It would be difficult to categorize "Go", heavily based on electronics, while the following "All Gone Now" recalls guitars to protagonism in an almost monotonous and monochord but very pleasant pace.
"Home Was Good" is once again dominated by Moore's warm voice (less monotonous in this album than in the previous one) and electronics. It must be emphasized the excellent work on guitar and drums. Never intrusive: Portnoy, although he could overdo it at any time, fits well into the project presenting a truly excellent, simple but direct and effective performance. A fantastic surprise is "Once", very close again to atmospheres reminiscent of vintage rock, it especially seems to be a child of Kraftwerk.
Electronics, as already mentioned (and I risk repeating myself), really reigns supreme: "Better", "Simple Life", "Kicking" attest to its pleasant and not at all annoying presence, on the contrary, it marries excellently with the progressive atmospheres that permeate the album. The last track, however, leaves one puzzled: "Our Town" is an acoustic ballad with a country pace. It would really seem out of place, but if analyzed in depth, it seems truly the right epilogue for this great album.
Naturally, there will be very little talk about this album. Few know these projects, and few will give it due credit by purchasing this little gem. And it's an enormous shame because finding works like this is really rare. Recommended for those who love progressive music but also for those who want to step out a little from the usual music.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Sure You Will (03:46)
First, I bit you and spit you out
When there was a doubt
Now, I'm calling you when I can
What is a man?
I did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Be yourself by yourself
Get yourself a little green pasture
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will, sure
Give, take, crowd control
They get in my way when I'm starting my day and
Teamwork, self-control
Is making me blue so I knew what I had to do
I did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Did it my way, I did it my way
I did it my way on the highway, highway
Be yourself by yourself
Drive yourself a little bit faster
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will, sure
(What is a man?)
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure you will
Sure you will, sure
Be yourself by yourself
Get yourself a little green pasture
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will
Be yourself by yourself
Drive yourself a little bit faster
Keep yourself to yourself
Save yourself
Sure you will, sure you will, sure
02 Free (03:22)
Free!
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
I consider myself free
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
Last man to the bottom
I consider myself free
Run run run outside
Keep your head covered
Get back in, "Outside?
Are you outta your mind?"
You're free
Watch your mouth
And watch your television
If something don't look right
Dial 1-800-YOURE FREE
Free
You're free
Free
You're free
Run run run outside
Get your hair colored
Hang that thing outside?
Are you outta your mind?
You're free
Watch the sky
And your television
If something don't look right
Dial 1-800-YOURE FREE
Free
You're free
Free
You're free
03 Go (04:16)
On the first day
I set the scene in a magazine
And now I've hurt someone
In the next scene
I cracked the code of the episode
And now I'm having fun
In a house in the mountains
There's a way to fall asleep
And I know when I find it
I will let this go
I can still feel my hope
Which crushed by the force of chromosomes
Its a trailmap to a beartrap
Separating poor torn camoflage
Under house, under water
Lay a wing-clipped history
And I know when I find it
I will let this go
On the first day
I set the scene in a magazine
And now I hurt someone
In the next scene
I cracked the code of the episode
And now I'm having fun
In a house in the mountains
There's a way to fall asleep
And I know when I find it
I will let you go
05 Home Was Good (05:03)
Go on ahead
Your story is just where you left it
Go on ahead
But I still can't believe you can't help it
95% happened in the home
Swallowed by the bed and caught in the phone
Hammering the walls, and sleepwalking falls
Overstepping out and haunting the halls
Go on ahead
Go on ahead
95% happened in the home
Swallowed by the bed and caught in the phone
Hammering the walls, and sleepwalking falls
Overstepping out and haunting the halls
Go on ahead
Go on ahead
06 Bigger Wave (04:32)
First think of a name, ok
Try to keep it the same, the same all day
Now go over your lines
Relax, relax, get into character
Now open an eye, nice try
But put a foot on the floor, then one more
'Cause we're going live, in five.. four...
Get into character
I was thinking we can walk on the water and still find reasons to swim inside
But now I'm worried there's a bigger wave just behind this one
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking there's a bigger wave just behind this one
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking there's a bigger wave
I was thinking we can walk on the water and still find reasons to swim inside
But now I'm worried there's a bigger wave just behind this one
I was thinking
I was thinking we can walk on the water and still find reasons to swim inside
Now I'm worried there's a bigger wave just behind this one
Just behind this one
07 Kicking (03:53)
Again, again
Four times last night
I was on the visitors side
Anybody felt this?
Deep end, 3am
And if it rains again
I think I'm gonna break it again, again
Again again
Again again
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Point that phone at the floor
You can fire anyone else in a name of hope
Haven't we been through this, haven't we been through this before?
That's my bedroom door you're kicking
Kicking, kicking, kicking
Four-star sanity tripped on a memory
Trapped under water and cold
We drift, blank refugees, tossed 'round roughly
And scream at the border control
Its easy ''(I'm gonna break...)''
Just start kicking
Kicking, kicking, kicking
''(I'm gonna break...)''
Kicking
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
Don't start telling me love is a symphony
08 Better (04:06)
Things got better when you left, your friends always say that
But I think you better check your leaving memo contract
You don't get to say, you don't get to say goodbye
And I don't want to be the one, but I could try
Things got better when you left, I hang my hat upon it
People say I'm somewhere else, what's so sad about it?
Even though it means, even though it means goodbye
And I don't want to be the one
I don't want to be the one here
I don't want to be the one, but I could try
You're not talking and I'm not talking
The dog's not talking and no one's talking at all when you're home
No bark in the street, no bark in the yard, no bark in the house
Next bark is the sound of my own war for peace
Things got better when you left, so tell your friends about it
I've been saying it to myself, that I can't live without it
Even though it means, even though it means goodbye
And I don't want to be the one
I don't want to be the one here
I don't want to be the one, but I could try
I don't want to be the one, but I could try
09 Simple Life (04:00)
I want a color tv and a newspaper blocking the door
I want a credit card key and a new phonebook on the floor
I want a getaway map of the hallway
I want a bird's eye view of the Hyundai
So I can sleep sleep sleep, or maybe I'll just sit in the car
'Cause here there's no silence ''(so so simple, its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
Best thing is keep singing ''(so so simple, its)''
I want a colorform theme and a vending machine down the hall
I want a ready-made bed and a passport safe in the wall
I want to have it just the way I couldn't give it
I want a life that lives the way we could of lived it
So I can sleep sleep sleep, or maybe I'll just sit in the car
But here there's no silence ''(so so simple, its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
Best thing is keep singing ''(so so simple, its)''
But here there's no silence ''(so so simple, its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
There's no silence ''(so so simple its)''
Best thing is keep singing ''(so so simple, its)''
''(so so simple, its)''
''(so so simple, its)''
''(so so simple, its)''
Best thing is keep singing
10 Once (06:38)
''(Once)'' I didn't know you but I saw your trash on the curb
''(Once)'' I'd sit and watch it burn, I couldn't find any words.
''(Now)'' I think I've found them, turns out you've got some words of your own
''(Now)'' Let's try to hide them for ''(once)'' this story, this story
''(Once)'' You made no questions and I try to hum back the words
''(Once)'' Go see it our way when we promised no one gets hurt
''(Now)'' Let's visualize it again, we'll write it right off the page
''(Now)'' Feels so imaginary, ''(once)'' this story, this story
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's film is falling
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
''(Once)'' You look so happy together, and
''(Once)'' You seem so happy together, and
''(Now)'' This story's over, it's over
''(Now)'' This story ''(once)'' keeps falling down
11 Our Town (03:20)
Okay, hey, I'm going outside
You can put the plate back on the shelf
And its cold, though the snow isn't falling
The neighbor can speak for himself
And the cold, hard, look in your eye
Is more than a line in the sand
And the truth gets hard to imagine
The hours get harder to stand
There's a seasick terminal passenger singing this song to himself
Till the store-bought soul on his skeleton leaks into somebody else
He's a seesaw caught in a storm, a hurricane after the war
When he drinks all the blood you can offer, he still wants more
Lemon plains, and rumbling trains
Are shaking the ground in our town again
Thought it twice, and kicking the ice
I got myself turned back around, singing
Everything's gonna be fine, sure that we'll both be okay
Hey, I'm backing outside, now just put the plate back on the shelf
And its cold, though the snow isn't falling
The temperature speaks for itself
Its a moonlit reason to quit, and nobody answers the phone
So if there's still blood left in your body, I'll come back home
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