RPWL:Trying To Kiss The Sun // review

[3-LockBox]

Still not sold on this album. I'm glad I heard <u>World through My Eyes</u> first, cause this is just a lot of hippy-jam stuff if you ask me. There are some fine moments here and there, but there is a lot of deja-vu where as their Pink Floyd past is concerned. The nearly 9 minute <i>Home Again</i> is a akin to PF's <u>Animals</u> while <i>Side By Side</i> is another 8 minute plus song that digresses half way through from maudlin ballad into pastoral sound effects and weird vocals; its <u>Division Bell</u> meets <u>Umma Gumma</u>.

Certainly, the emphasis on this release is spacey production and kaleidascope lyrics. Whether they're wearing their influences on their sleeves or they're trying to sound like a '60s homage it comes across a little too forced. Works well if you miss that style of music, but it gets a little long in the tooth after the first 5 tracks for me. I think the band still had some growing to do song craft-wise, which they seemed to have accomplished on WTME. Everyone has to start somewhere, though.

I'd recommend anyone interested in RPWL start at their third release, <u>World Through My Eyes</u>.

[Troy]

Ya sure, the Floyd references are obvious and many. That's true of every RPWL album though.

"Kiss the Sun" was my frist RPWL album and I like it a lot more than WTME which I haven't yet warmed to at all. So maybe it's about which one you hear first? The tittle track and "I Don't Know" are great pop-prog toons. Love 'em. Yeah, the album kinda wears out it's welcome after about 40 minutes, but that's true of the new one as well.

I think "Stock" is definitely the album to go with.

Pretty sure "World thru My Eyes" is the 4th album too . . . Seems to me that there's a title out there that I've never seen or heard.

[BarryL]

Pretty sure "World thru My Eyes" is the 4th album too . . . Seems to me that there's a title out there that I've never seen or heard.

It's the fourth. I don't recall the name of the first one, but I did try to find it after I discovered Kiss The Sun, but had no luck. If only Demetrio was here...I wouldn't have to do the web search to find out. Oh well, I'm not going to do it anyway...

BTW, got the package. I look forward to listening this week. Can't play No Solos loud at work though.