Above
Above gives Layne Staley room to sing without a heavy guitar pressing against every line. That alone makes Mad Season worth exploring. With Pearl Jam's Mike McCready on guitar, Barrett Martin on drums and John Baker Saunders on bass, this is a group with plenty of power available. They are often more interesting when they leave some of it unused.
Wake Up takes its time. The bass and drums settle into an easy movement while the guitar gradually adds colour, and Staley's voice holds the centre. The song is long, but the space is part of its appeal. It feels like musicians allowing an idea to develop rather than racing towards the next chorus.
River of Deceit is more immediate, with a clean guitar figure and one of Staley's gentlest performances. The melody is strong enough that the band doesn't need to add much around it. The restraint makes the heavier passages elsewhere feel more significant. Above can be dark, but it rarely feels as crowded as the most intense Alice in Chains material.
Long Gone Day is the clearest departure. Mark Lanegan joins Staley, and the percussion and saxophone move the song towards a much looser, jazz-influenced setting. Their different voices work well together, giving the album a character that belongs to this particular group. McCready also sounds comfortable outside a conventional hard-rock structure, adding expression rather than simply another solo.
The heavier songs are more uneven. Lifeless Dead has a strong riff, but some of the repeated patterns can become a little static. At nearly an hour, the record asks you to enjoy its atmosphere as much as its individual tunes. Anyone expecting a neat collection of big singles may find the slower stretches frustrating.
Still, the best moments justify the patience. Above offers warmth, space and a different setting for a remarkable singer, with a band willing to follow the quieter ideas. It works particularly well when the players resist filling every gap. Sometimes the space between the notes is where the personality comes through.
