There are few CDs that I come across in my reviews that upon hearing them, I search the liner notes to see if the group has produced other albums. And, though the music on The American Standard by Dreadnaught does not possess the speedy, shredding guitar work that dominates my CD collection, I was so compelled by the strength of the composition in this album that I found myself searching the liner notes for other albums by this amazing trio.

Though the instrumentation does not show off any virtuoso, speedy fireworks, the polish playing, selective voicings, and fine production applied to these astounding arrangements left me with my jaw agape. This trio is amazingly creative, inventive, and has an unusually strong grasp on composition and arrangement that is the forte of the album. This is not to say that these guys are not good players, because they are. But if you are a music techie, when you listen to this album, you will forget all you know about techie analysis of guitar technique, etc. when you hear the musical vision that these guys have invented. And now loyal followers of my reviews, brace yourself for this... even the vocals are decent on this album! (For those of you who are not familiar with my reviews, this may be the first time in any review where I have not slammed the vocals.) The sparsely applied vocals actually contribute in a positive way on this album!

The musical vision on this album is among the best that I have heard of the albums that I reviewed in 2002. The music builds around catchy themes in a manner that never sits still on the same theme for any longer than it takes for the listener to digest it. It is an ever-changing soundscape that just astounds me when I consider what it must have taken to invent these arrangements and then to execute them with the flawless precision that this trio has. The music's character is mostly upbeat and lively, with the nonstop barrage of hooks and changes being the most striking element in the music.

Dreadnaught has produced a masterpiece with The American Standard that all musicians should give a listen to consider the compositional depth that is demonstrated. A lot of instrumental music focuses on the musicians' technical abilities and loses sight of composition as a primary objective. Habib, Walton, and Lord have put together a fine performance on this album that has made an obvious effort to keep composition as a primary objective. Great job Dreadnaught! Can you send me the rest of your albums to review? ... ;)

~ Christopher Ruel ~ www.ChrisRuel.com ~ Chris@ChrisRuel.com ~ Chris Ruel's Monthly Spotlight

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