MUSIC SCENE

Auditorium - Merge Records Auditorium

Artists and groups have their whole lives to write their first album, but if they are signed by a record company, each record released after that is a contractual obligation. This is the fifth album by the Radar Brothers who have, for the most part, put out consistently very good records, but Auditorium makes me think that they have run out of new ideas. Radar Brothers have used middle-period Pink Floyd as their template for inspiration, Meddle especially. Lead singer/guitarist Jim Putnam has David Gilmour's dreamy vocal style, acoustic guitars and tasteful electric guitar parts, as well as his production values, down to a science. Auditorium is a mid-tempo, beautiful record, but, except for the track "Pomona," lyrically it doesn't match up with Putnam's earlier work. In the tune "Watching Cows," he croons "Up all night/Watching the cows swim/ Across the river dead or alive." That's about it lyrically. The song "Brother Rabbit" could have something to do with the Tar Baby, but the song repeats the line "Run Rabbit run" so often that it struck me that he must have a John Updike book in his collection. Although Auditorium sounds great, very much like a Pink Floyd record, Jim Putnam ain't going to win any poetry slams.

Bob Jones is founder of Silver Platter CDs EST1998 in Fort Myers. For info or to suggest music, email recordreviews@comcast.net