Rush ‎– Caravan

It is a risky objective for a band whose notoriety is not inextricably linked with good songwriting to release two mid-length tracks in a format which renders this ability and seizes it under close scrutiny. Not that Rush have firmly relied on instrumental aptitude during the last 20 or so years, instead reigning occupancy in the rather hazy murk of middle ground between wanting to extend beyond something they want to remain within. This incurring tension has either resulted in frustration or mild nausea as their pendulum sways between a passage of virtuosity and a captivating hook, though neither in the same breath – sometimes swinging to neither, as the dynamic-less barrage favours more static patterns, than a complimentary sequence of notes. All the more the backdrop to the increasing tetchy in-vogue fascination with secular-humanism of Neil Peart's lyrics, which despite the claim they are thinking "big", it is hardly a motor home. D

Caravan = a sigh relief, a step in the right direction (whatever that might be). I found myself concerned at Snakes And Arrows, I felt that what I was hearing was a once extraordinary band going through the motions. Regardless of style, the songs on that release (and Vapor Trails, for that matter) just didn't move me. Caravan, whether due to it's easily digestible two track format or something more otherworldly is Rush's best work in a long time, perhaps since Test For Echo (a patchy album, but not devoid of a stroke of genius or two; the title track and Limbo for instance). The band ostensibly retains it's Heavy Rock sound of the past decade, but beneath the surface Geddy Lee's Synthesizers and an array of quirky sound effects are clearly audible. Caravan also boasts a number of time signatures which hark back to earlier releases (circa 1991-96). BU2B is less impressive to these ears, but is a decent track regardless.