Search - Exit :: Home for an Island

New Progressive Rock.

Nick Damato | Columbus, Ohio USA | 11/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The new album "Home for an Island" by The Exit may signal the direction that that guitar rock is taking: 'back to the future'. This is "progressive rock". The album does have emo and pop punk influences, but also draws it's strength from the "classic rock" era circa the mid-late 70s and early 80s. In fact, I bet that you could have released this album in 1978 and it would have been played on most progressive rock stations.



The drummer sounds a lot like Neil Pert, the bassist sounds a lot like Sting, The guitarist sounds like lots of people, all good. The band likes to go on "serious jams" (that's a technical term that us rock academics use for extended, improvisational drum and guitar instrumental streaks and solos) some verging on some of the art rock of the 70s.



The song development is fairly involved. The band really goes to town when they write a bridge, I mean some of the bridges are pretty impressive. They also write multiple choruses in the same song. The songs build and build until they reach some pretty indulgent crescendos that would make any arena rocker proud. The title track is a prime example. This way of composing songs in several movements with lots of development and syphonic flare is why I think this album belongs in the Classic Rock genre.



Much of the vocal styles, is rooted in newer sounds of emo and the music is actually pretty original. Another surprise that classic rock fans will welcome is the lyrics, which comment frequently on modern Western culture and politics without being pretentious.



Overall, It's a pretty solid, rockin' album. I cruised around with it in my car for a few weeks. It's leaps above the band's first album, which I don't own, but checked out. There are plenty of good songs on the album. They definitely have potential. If you like serious guitar rock that's not "heavy metal", check it out. Looking forward to The Exit's next installment.



Some recommended tracks IMO (in no particular order): "Don't Push", "Home for an Island", "Let's Go to Haiti", "Darlin'" to start. There's nothing bad on the album. We're talking Good, Better, Best here."