So, a while back, after about a year of yawning through Porcupine Tree worship threads, knowing I don't care much for whatever this genre called Prog Rock might be, my spirit finally broke and I picked up Signify and In Absentia. I was intrigued, on the fence a bit, but enjoyed much. I tried to convince myself that they might be the Pink Floyd of the new millennium. I dig Idiot Prayer a lot. also Wedding Nails and they have nice stuff all all ends of their range. I've got Fear of a Blank Planet and Anesthetize has been lodged in my brain for several weeks. I like that they try to create something more than a string of singles on an album. It seems like I've drunk the cool-aid...

But, I still can't decide if I like them, dammit. There's just things that annoy me. The relentless focus on ennui and disenfranchisement... but even more, whoever the vocal is has a grating turn of phrase. It feels like he's trying to set Moby Dick to music. I've read Moby Dick and its a fantastic book, but it shouldn't be set to music. PT lyrics feel just as cumbersome sometimes. Then...and I'm coming to my point...those 'r's...argh. Take Anethetize for instance

I'm watching TV
But I find it hard to stay conscious
I'm totally boRed... ARGH.

Right in the middle of some great playing in the middle of a totally ambitious song. The groove is on... then a really goofy pronunciation of 'borrrred'.

Then "shuffling through storrres..."

It drives me nuts. 17m 43s of really good musical arc and, right smack in the middle, a millisecond of complete and total amateur hour vocal annoyance.

That's why i can't decide if I like 'em.

*sigh*