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Slow Burning Car: Assumption

Melodic/Progressive Rock

3.5/5.0

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Trifonic Music
by Craig Hartranft,  05.04.2013

If anything California's Slow Burning Car are some imaginative fellows, bringing their third album of eclectic melodic rock, Assumption. Eclectic is an appropriate description for the tunes here, or maybe, varied. However, the album isn't quite as cohesive and compelling at the previous Vol. 2 - The Scattering.

Slow Burning Car:: live.

SBC still blends various styles for their melodic rock but, with exception of two songs, that prog rock element, found in the previous work, is elusive. It comes with Blake and The Scorpio Complex, two of the best songs here. Then, except for a few other songs, the album is simply a mixed affair of creativity disguised as quirkiness.

The best are The Ghetto and the Sea, Carnaby Shuffle, and the quaint Day Brightener, written by bass player Troy Spiropoulos and his wife, Gina, about their child. And maybe Not On Me, which starts like a song Eric Clapton might play. The average are Midnight, Amity, and the unnecessary closer, Memosio. The just plain weird or quirky are Dimples, KATS (ouch), and Crocodile. I'm hoping these songs sound better live.

Here's the thing: if you've followed the band and enjoyed their sometimes elusive eclecticism in the past, Assumption will come as no surprise to you. My guess is you'll enjoy it, but I still think the previous work is the better.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Assumption is not quite the follow up I expected from the impressive Vol. 1 - The Scattering, but it finds the band returning with some eclectic and quirky melodic rock that's bound to either please or confuse.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]