In a musical universe filled with bland power-pop bands that combine rock, emo and mainstream punk, imagine my surprise upon hearing an absolutely stunning version of Peter Gabriel's "Digging in the Dirt" on The Frequency We Share, the second album from Canada's Retrograde. The revved-up, guitar-heavy version, laced with intensity, sounds fresh and fuzzy but clearly respects the original.
If "Digging in the Dirt" — not even one of Gabriel's shiniest moments — were the only highlight on this album, it would hardly be worth a mention on the Sea. But practically every one of the dozen songs on this CD (14 on the European version, released by Atenzia Records) crackle with modern rock and old-school prog. The ballad "Back Where I Belong" oozes with Marillion references, and the bonus track "In This" could be an outtake from the post-Neal Morse Spock's Beard sessions. OK, so the down-tuned monotony of "Headphones" and the snottiness of "Looking Into You" might please younger listeners more than the sheer melodic bliss of the title track and the hard-rock slow burn of "No Answer," but I'll say this: The four dudes in Retrograde boast an impressive command of not only where they're going but also where they came from.
Track Listing:
1) The Frequency We Share
2) Letting Go
3) Headphones
4) No Answer
5) Get On With It
6) Digging in the Dirt
7) It's Over Now
8) Looking Into You
9) Worth the Wait
10) The Unknown
11) Surrender
12) Back Where I Belong
13) Into the Obvious (Bonus Track)
14) In This (Bonus Track)
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