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 - RefreshingVery interesting, a bit of a departure from the other albums they have. It is getting hard to put a label on their music, but thats what makes it so good. I have not purchased any new music for quit a while, so last week I picked up several albums this being one of them, along with Spicehouse and Zero7. I must say I love this CD, I have been playing every day in the car. The sound quality is fantastic, especially in headphones. This New York band has always been experimenting and building on their sound. I think they have come to a peak on this one. One thing is for sure, the musicianship is always top notch on all their albums, this is no exception. They have a more modern sound here Kind of Hip Hop - Trip Hop, whatever, but it sounds great. This album starts off with the strange "Anonymous skulls" and then moves into the great title track. The rest of the album seems to move in and out of trippy groves, experimental jazz and some interesting electronica. Some of my friends who are great people, but can't get out of their tiny musical worlds actually like this when I play it. It is nice to hear some fresh new music. Rating:  - Every album just gets betterMMW are a band that I feel epitomizes what a band should do: Get better with each album. This installment into their already stellar catalogue is one of great proportion. I saw MMW live twice during their tour for this album, one of which was at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC (one of my favorite venues of all time), and the performance combined with the infectious grooves made me dance like I've never danced before. All three do a fantastic job of not overplaying just to impress. Medeski probably overplays some live, but Chris Wood on bass is too expressive to just capture on disc. At any rate, this album has my vote for #1 MMW album so far, and I own them all. As an additional note, to get the true effect of this trio, see them live. Billy Martin is right up there with Duduka da Fonseca as far as best trap players in the entirety of Western music, and you only get to see just how excellent he is when he plays live. During an intermission at one show, it was just him on stage while the other M and the W took a break. His improv solo playing is just as musical as anything with tonal character. Alright, that's the end of the rambling. Buy this album! Rating: - Disciples of Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters"Like an earlier poster said, the first thing that caught my eye about this CD was the title. I was already familiar with MMW so I had every reason to think I'd like what was on it, so I bought it. By far my favorite is "Shine It." It has an old-school funk vibe that demands repeated listenings. You don't hear too many recording that combine acoustic bass with electric piano, and I can't get enough of that combo. The rest of the album is fine also, though some of the cuts are a bit unfocused. All in all, though, a great album. I'd recommend it to anyone who's a fan of Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters" period (and if you don't have the "Head Hunters" CD, go pick it up NOW). Rating: - The best effort to date, the last effort to date, I thinkMedeski, Martin and Wood are beyond being an aquired taste. The closest comparison I can make to their music was that of Steely Dan back in the 70's. It basically defies catagorization. If you can't stand being catagorized, you'll probably like the tunes of Medeski, Martin and Wood. Be you a conservative with long hair or a punk rocker in a 3 piece suit or the conductor of the Prague Philharmonic listening to Apocalyptica on his/her mp3 player, all are sure to love this alblum. Once again, the veiled references to the big island are always a curiosity for me. But then again, like DT, its my favorite island in the whole wide end of the world. Rating: - One of my all-time favoritesI ordered this disc about a year ago after hearing Anonymous Skulls for the first time. The song completely floored me... it's like nothing I'd ever heard before. After a year of constant listening, I still like Skulls, but other songs on the disc have become my favorites. New Planet and Reflector are so damn funky. End of the World Party is so smooth and satisfying. Mami Gato and Ice are just tight, cool grooves. This disc is in my top 10 of all-time. I rank it right up there with Coolin' Off by Galactic and Tourist by St. Germain.
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