Album of the Day

Looking Homeward, by Tristan Park (1998): Progressive rock sometimes gets flack for taking itself too seriously. To the extent that's true, albums like this one reinforce that stereotype. The lyrical content here is really heavy - half an hour is devoted to songs inspired by An American Tragedy, for crying out loud - and presented with earnest sincerity. But what verges on the edge of too much for most of the album goes careening over that edge on "The Cruelest Month," a paean to the futility of the Boston Red Sox (notice the year this was released). What could have been a pleasant diversion or change of pace is instead presented with the serious weight of the rest of the album. The result is laughable and really taints the rest of the album. Not that there's anything particularly objectionable about the rest - it's standard neo-prog, although the vocalist reminds me of John Bon Jovi!