IT United Kingdom
"Unashamedly drawing on (arguably) the peak years of Pink Floyd's creativity (DSOTM, Wish You Were Here and Animals), Over and Out will take you back to a time when albums were painstakingly crafted and from the opening 'Time' like intro to 'Tuning In' all Floyd fans will be transported back to the Hypgnosis era with the clever use of samples and that grand but laid back production typical of DSOTM. The Canadian origins of the band give the album some distinct personality and wouldn't be out of place as a soundtrack to a Michael Moore film. IT's trademark scathing of modern culture is omnipresent. "Ground control again to Major Tom. This planet's getting lonely. Now don't come down here, stay there if you can. We haven't got a plan and no-one wants to help me" - 'Leaving the Planet' 'Leaving the Planet', 'Space Cadet Parts 1 & 2' and Stranded is a gorgeous sequence of tracks that had me yearning for my gatefold vinyl cover so that i could psychologically become more immersed in the album. A masterpiece of contemporary progressive rock."
"Their gritty and satirical themes don't leave any room for myths or fantasy. In Burn (part 2) they have managed to cut and paste a Bush speech with hilarious (but tellingly accurate) results.
The Lyrics are intelligent, challenging and occasionally darkly humorous. The bottom line is that the IT experience will inform your thinking, feelings and memory long after the last notes have ended. Did i mention the music? Ahem well, as a prog rock fan i've been waiting for something like this to come along for ages. There are singles on here that should be getting decent airplay - God Is Dead and the 1st single Killing Me are two examples of how to make a commercially viable 4 minute song while at the same time not departing (no pun intended) from the feel and flow of the album. There are shades of Porcupine Tree and Floyd (Departure) and i also drooled over the Hackettesque guitar on Burn (part 2). You'll want to come back to the bluesy 'Fighting for Freedom' and the sublime 'Disappear' but to single out two tracks would be unfair as there isn't a dud on here. This is their 4th album and quite how they have escaped mainstream success is probably more to do with genre than talent. IT have a sound whcih fuses the classic melodies of prog rock’s past with a passion and intensity usually only found in punk or metal bands. If you're getting tired of the new wave of electro pop and indie plagiarism then this album is a recommended purchase. It also comes with a DVD featuring live footage and a documentary for the price of a regular CD. Read and weep freeloaders. 5/5"
