Review Summary: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm saying."
2 of 2 thought this review was well writtenImagine a soothing environment…
Relaxing beats…
Musical brilliance and sheer atmospheric beauty…
Then
abruptly, that same brilliance is tainted with too many radio and sound samples. Like a salt shaker's lid malfunction that caused a plate of food to suddenly be encased a sea of salt, the music you envisioned is now requires desalination. That, my friends is the first perception of “You Go Now”.
This album has a lot more worth than is explainable. To criticize the album would be too easy, but the sheer beauty is there and is willing to be explored. The album takes a few listens to sink in, but there is a very strong presence of musical intelligence across the album. Apart, the instruments are perfectly pieced together, but together the album may seem too relaxed and boring. From a skeptical viewpoint there is an obvious void of anything exciting on the album; a little more guitar would fit in perfectly to make it a wild twist on Pink Floyd. You Go Now has much, much more to offer though than what meets the ear.
The first track off the album
Get Back In The Car is a mindless, drooling, yet firm song with progressive beat. Kevin Moore’s brash boldness to make an ambient retrospective is over moist, bloated, but calm and refreshing. The next song at least attempts to set a pace,
Another Permanent Address is what should have started the album. The singing and ambience all fits together, although compact, it works. There is something very unnerving with the album's astronaut theme, but through time, it makes more sense. Sure, but we can get enough of the ambient space after the first 15 minutes, but be patient.
As much as I do admire Kevin Moore for his work in Dream Theater, this album feels slightly disconnected from his other Chroma Key material. In fact, it's uniqueness is far from anything you would expect from his work with early-90's era Dream Theater. “You Go Now” requires multiple listens and is the most under-appreciated of his work, even by me. There are few memorable choruses and the music is layered on light piano and ambient synths with a repetitive percussion beat. For the most part, the singing is very realistic, and a clear opposite of "overproduced", and the album doesn't seem to go very far from where it starts, but it doesn't need to. If this sounds too hard to jump into, start with the riveting
Astronaut Down. The song perfectly matches the “space station” themed samples with a lyrical substance that matches Space-Dye Vest, and accomplishes the goal of the essence of the album.
"And I found myself,
back in the bachelor scene
[i] feel like an astronaut
in a submarine"
To the critic, no matter how genius Kevin Moore truly is, his prowess is surely is not applied strongly here. There aren't even any fills in the drum beats like his previous albums. Kevin Moore’s music applies no imaginary color, his music is simply just shades of gray. You Go Now will appear more as an average sequel pointing back to the acclaimed previous album "Graveyard Mountain Home". You Go Now had promise, but ended up sheathed in salt.
To everyone else, the album will hold a unique pattern that separates it from modern music in general. You have to listen to a song multiple times to discover the color behind it. This is one of those records that you enjoy and stare at the simple beauty of the album cover and take in the music as if it were one with yourself.
Critical Rating: 2.5 Average
Review Rating: 3.5 Great
Personal Rating: 4.0 Excellent
Recommended:
Astronaut Down
Lunar
Another Permanent Address
