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So for those of us who have followed this band since inception (that incredibly refreshing self-titled debut that took the prog world by surprise with its wit, catchiness and technical brilliance circa 1994), Pretending 2 Run <\/span>will in essence be like the return of a welcome long-lost friend. After all, it has been 8 years since the Detroit prog rockers last released new studio material. And where Fly Paper <\/span>(2008) was somewhat of a return to the early styles and sounds \u2013 and also marked the return of original drummer Mark Evans – P2R<\/span> takes things to the next level covering familiar ground whilst simultaneously branching out into whole other realms of progressiveness. In doing so they’ve crafted an album that paradoxically sounds less like their influences (the Rush comparisons have long plagued them, unfairly in my opinion) and more of an original Tiles vibe \u2026 augmented to the max! Given the span of its 2 discs\/96 minutes, there is plenty of time for experimentation and conceptual development, but no shortage of spectacular instrumental performance and vocal diversity. And by employing the help of numerous other musicians (Mike and Max Portnoy, Adam Holzman, Colin Edwin and Matthew Parmenter (violin), and Mike Stern to name a few) they’ve certainly delivered their most dynamic recording to date.<\/p>\n \n It\u2019s impossible to describe everything going on here. I\u2019ve been listening to these songs for the better part of the past week, as well as revisiting the entire back catalog for the past 2 weeks, and while Presents of Mind <\/span>(1999) has long been my favorite, these guys have been so consistently great that it is really hard to say P2R <\/span>is their best \u2013 it\u2019s just more diverse. Even the experimental Window Dressing <\/span>(the album I\u2019ve always found to be the most difficult to embrace because of the more repetitious nature of its songs and content) pales in comparison \u2013 these songs are so much more expansive. The electronic and keyboard elements do give this a more modern feel but the jazzy\/fusion driven frenetic Tiles element remains at the core. Paul Rarick\u2019s vocal performance is noteworthy. In the early days he always stretched his voice to almost awkward levels but as he has matured as a singer he never sounds strained \u2013 his vocals here are more multi-faceted, yet they retain that slightly nasal, clearly distinctive quality. Not surprisingly, the instrumentalists are phenomenal. Herin and Whittle don\u2019t sound as if they\u2019ve lost any of their touch. Mark Evans (drums) \u2013 who missed Presents of Mind <\/span>and Window Dressing <\/span>\u2013 rounds out the original line-up. His jazz\/fusion influenced percussive style perfectly complements everything else going on here. He has a gift for adding a lot detailed expression to the \u201cin-between\u201d spaces without sounding overly self-indulgent. One listen through \u201cTaken by Surprise\u201d will convince the doubters \u2013 these guys have continued to hone their chops and lost nothing to time, perhaps thanks to the Off The Floor sessions.<\/p>\n \n Musically speaking, at first glance, the first 8 songs (disc 1) feel a bit like the \u201cfeature\u201d with disc 2 containing more of the experimental\/ambient\/improvisational material. But that is clearly an oversimplification because conceptually the story \u2013 one man\u2019s journey from betrayal to redemption \u2013 flows seamlessly through the entirety of the double CD set. Honestly, the entire 96 minutes from start to finish is breathtaking, and while there is plenty of improvisational type jamming going on, this thing never grows dull largely due to the wide array of styles and instrumentation employed. Tons of guitar tones (electric\/acoustic\/mandolin), keyboards, saxophone, horn, strings \u2026 even Ian Anderson lends his flute to a few tracks, most noteworthy the otherworldly \u201cMidwinter.\u201d The attention to detail is remarkable, like where Evans plays behind the beat on \u201cSmall Fire Burning\u201d at the 1:46 mark as a foreshadowing of the time drag which concludes the song! How many artists are willing to do this kind of thing on a studio recording in this day and age? And while previous albums have contained instrumental tracks, never before has this band given us \u201cinterlude\u201d tracks like the haunting choral tracks \u201cRefugium,\u201d and \u201cMeditatio\u201d or ambient electronica\/futuristic interludes like \u201cOther Arrangements\u201d and \u201cThe View From Here\u201d (Adam Holzman and dark Porcupine Tree\/Wilson influence seeping in here?). I love the effects on the out-take track \u201cBacksliding\u201d where the marching snare drum fades into the distance, echoing the snare riff from the opening title track, which happens to be one of the highlight tracks indeed along with the jam-infested \u201cThe Disappearing Floor,\u201d the catchy\/trippy Portnoy infused \u201cStonewall\u201d and the P2R (Reprise 1)\/Uneasy Truce\/P2R (Reprise 2) sequence. But really, P2R impresses more as whole than in parts. Like Ayreon\u2019s Human Equation <\/span>each song stands on its own amidst the backdrop of the greater concept, but the songs sound most impressive within the context of the entire piece of work. I would be remiss if I didn\u2019t mention the sonic quality here \u2013 the band collaborates with Peter Moore and once again Terry Brown so expect nothing but the best in terms of the soundscape and listening experience.<\/p>\n \n So with P2R<\/span>, Tiles and company have exceeded all expectations. But what else could they do at this point in their career? They\u2019ve always been a \u201cmusician\u2019s band,\u201d and as successful as Fly Paper <\/span>was at recreating the magic of those early years, time and personal endeavor called for something more grandiose. Fortunately, flashiness and big production of P2R<\/span> aside, the great thing about Tiles is that their music remains, at its foundation, all about the music and the melody. And although the lyrical theme this time is less accessible and more introspective, these guys continue to engage and connect with their listeners at the core human level, all the while simultaneously maintaining the highest level of performance which this genre demands. Brilliant \u2013 an absolute work of art! Fans of artful rock rejoice.<\/p>\n \n The 2CD version is housed in a triple gatefold digi with lyric booklet (includes exhaustive musician\/artist breakdown for each song) featuring the stunning artwork\/illustrations of Hugh Syme. [The Laser’s Edge\/Standing Pavement]<\/p>\n \n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So for those of us who have followed this band since inception (that incredibly refreshing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1020],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review"],"yoast_head":"\n