Album Review - Widespread Panic - Earth to America
Second Skin, the opening track on Widespread Panic's ninth studio disc
Earth to America, begins and ends with an atmospheric stirring of
sounds; in between, it moves with such slow deliberation that it
essentially signals the dawning of a new era in the band's history. That
Second Skin is a song of rebirth is certainly no coincidence. Even
before the untimely death of guitarist Michael Houser, Widespread Panic
had been stumbling along in search of direction, and his loss only added
to the group's growing pains. Over the course of the past seven years,
the outfit has issued seven live recordings -- a sure sign, even by jam
band standards, that something was amiss -- and sure enough, its studio
efforts, of which there were only two, were hardly on par with the
collective's best work. Don't Tell the Band was stuffed full of
hard-charging but utterly soulless arena-ready rock, while Ball was
little more than a mournful memento that, completed too soon after
Houser's death, felt entirely transitional.
Earth to America, however, is something altogether different. Whether it
was the passage of time, the scenic change brought about by the
ensemble's jaunt to a recording studio in the Bahamas, or some
combination thereof, Widespread Panic now appears to be fully
re-energized and recommitted to fulfilling the promise that it
demonstrated during the first decade of its career.
This is an excerpt. To read the complete review, please visit:
http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2006/widespreadpanic-earthtoamerica.html
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