9

Slow and steady.

Keith Caputo’s fourth solo album is lyrically as personal and bittersweet as ever. His sound is often extremely melancholy on many of the tracks - like the minimal guitar and violin ballad ‘Sliver Candy’ which brings to mind Neil Young in the “After The Gold Rush” days, and the sweet and slow ‘Bleed For Something Beautiful’ which is arguably the best track on the album, it’s simply lovely, with a blues/jazz feel and featuring the excellent trumpet skills of Flea. Occasionally there is a 70s progressive vibe, tracks like the six and a half minute piano led epic ’Sad Eyed Lady’ which is steeped in the past and reminiscent of Pink Floyd in their quieter moments, it’s an interesting tune with a quirky melody, lots of layers and a great lead riff and it gets better with more listens.

The record also has a couple of heavier, more driving rock tunes in the form of ‘Troubles Down’ which sounds a little too like Velvet Revolver and ‘Devils Parade’ which has a similar riff to the former and a grunge feel. Both tracks are decent, pretty heavy, fuzzy tunes and really give Caputo a chance to stretch his husky, cracked voice, but at the same time they feel tacked on, put in just to please his old Life of Agony fans and they sit strangely with the rest of the record.

Overall this is an album of quite diverse styles, with very personal lyrics. At times it can get a little too morose, really dragging the listener on an emotional journey, but there are a few genuinely lovely and insightful moments that make the experience worthwhile and make you come back for just one more play more than once.