Daniel Amos (DA)

This is Daniel Amos' most creative album, spotlighting Terry Taylor's lyrical genius and the musical ingenuity of the entire group. This record has all the aspirations of Fearful Symmetry without the pretentiousness (spoken word interludes, etc.) that litter that release. Inventiveness is delivered with more class this time through. "Return of the Beat Menace" opens the disc with strange chords and catchy, rhythmic multi-layered guitars, and moves into a biting (almost threatening) rebuttal to the attacks of televangelists on popular music and culture. The title track correlates the sign-language speaking gorilla's description of an earthquake ("darn floor, big bite") with humanity's description of God ("you are twilight, dark and bright"), all to a tune that is both barbaric and tonally non-traditional. This theme of the indescribability of God permeates this disc, notably on "Half Light, Epoch, and Phase," "The Unattainable Earth," and "The Shape of Air." From beginning to end, this disc is a lyrical and musical masterpiece that improves as it ages. ~ Mark W.B. Allender, All Music Guide