I got a cut from this disc as a freebie from iTunes, and I liked it enough to check out the rest of the set. Based only on the 30 second samples, I really am liking what I am hearing. I am really not a huge fan of the band, and the only Cee Dee I have is Ritual, but this one seems to really kick ass. So, I did search here and didn't find much discussion on this. Anyone got it? How are the sonics? I am SOOOOOO sick of buying discs that I like musically only to have it be poorly recorded/mastered. Come on JA fans, I know you are out there. What's the word on the street for this one? BGL
So far so good. I could only listen via PC speakers so I can't comment on the sonics, but I really like the songs, not really a bad one in the bunch. I look forward to giving it a listen on the he-man rig in he living room. BGL
I didn't like Ritual. I really liked Nothing's Shocking. Strays is more like the latter. Really, really good, IMO in other words.
Gave it a full listen via the iPod/Senheisers (320K AAC...so its not too badly mangled), then a partial listen on the main rig. As for the songs....killer stuff. Funny thing. Its still guitar/bass/drums/voice, but there is something unique about the sound and the tunes that does not leave me thinking that its just so much derivative crap, like a lot of other new music. It all sounds original to me. I guess Perry just has a very distinctive voice and vocal style. Sonics....well, its a mixed bag. The overall blend is a bit rolled off on the top. The bass and drums do have great impact, and the guitars are prominent in the mix, but as usual, the cymbals can sound a tad harsh and congested on certain tunes. Not the worst offender, that's for sure, but it could be better. But overall, I like it a lot. And yes, there are some really cool guitar solos, but always in service to the song. No gratuitous wankery at all. BGL
Musically, the album is solid, but not as adventurous as Ritual or even Nothing's Shocking. It's a good rock 'n' roll record which is a nice consistent listen but never reaches the heights of their previous efforts. Sonically, I feel it's quite awful. It's compressed dynamically cut or something like that. Painful to listen to for more than 30 minutes.
