Search - Third Matinee :: Meanwhile

Patrick Leonard delivers time after time

Bryan | Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States | 06/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Meanwhile was the follow up to the 1990 album Toy Matinee, and while Kevin Gilbert had long since parted ways with Patrick Leonard, Richard Page of Mr. Mister was more than ready to take his place.



While Meanwhile does lack the virtuosity of Toy Matinee, it retains the characteristic Leonard style of composition, decent complexity of the musical nature is present, yet the sound is sonorous, not hinting at the music's underlying complexity. For example, the chorus of "Ordinary Day" only has two chord changes that fall into the same scale (as the previous chord could be considered in), but the dissonant sound of such progressions is kept to a minimum. Chromatic movement is present throughout the album, especially in "I Don't Care" and "Ordinary Day", and to some degree in "All The Way Home"



While I have no credentials to critique lyrics, the trademark Richard Page style is equally present, as in "Broken Wings", references to flesh are rather abundant. The lead guitar sound that was present in that same song, thin and distant, is present on this album.



The standout tracks on this album are "I Don't Care, Ordinary Day, All The Way Home, and Trust Somebody." "All The Way Home" has a very progressive yet simple sound, similar in nature to "We Always Come Home" from the Toy Matinee album. "Ordinary Day" could be compared to "Turn it on Salvador", as "I Don't Care" is similar to "Last Plane Out", with a chorus that stands highly detached from the rank and file of the pedal bass present through most of the song.



"Trust Somebody" is piano heavy, and it often `digs' down to the fourth (subdominant chord) of the scale from a major chord on the 6th tone, a common practice in progressive rock of the 1980s.



As for the sound, the cymbals are rather tinny and short sustaining, the guitars a bit too thin as well, but the bass is true to form and performed with great skill. All together, it's a great album, and while it will probably never garner the support that Toy Matinee has, it is certainly not to be dismissed.



Bryan Starkweather - Autistic Savant, Studio Musician"

Sticks with me after all these years

Jim B. | Memphis, TN USA | 06/18/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Personal taste is just that,...... Personal. But I would describe this as hopeful, sad, yearning, sly. I'm speaking musically, because I'm not usually a lyrics person. I'm more drawn to how the voice interplays with the other instruments. For me this is consistently more pleasing than Toy Matinee, although there are a couple of songs on Toy Matinee that I like more than anything here. And for what it's worth, The Shaming of the True is my favorite album ever, so I certainly mean no slight to Kevin Gilbert. This is just very well crafted and executed music."