I haven't heard much from Blessed Union of Souls, or BUOS (link), since the late 90s. How surprised was I to learn that they were still going strong and putting out new music? After a very healthy beginning with their string of hits in the 90s (I Believe, Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me), I Wanna Be There, Light In Your Eyes, etc), they kind of fell off "the edge of the earth." Which is a shame given the vocal talents of Eliot Sloan. Like most other BUOS albums, we have here a mix of good and mediocre tunes, and a couple that really stand out. BUOS is perhaps best known for thought-provoking ballads, some with just simple piano and some grandiose with orchestration and the works. "Perception" has all of this, and fans of BUOS should rejoice at these 16 (!) new full-length tracks (17 counting the "bonus" track, annoyingly placed on track 16 - why do bands continue to do this in the mp3 era?). Nearly every track is a great acoustic-driven pop rock affair, but some are less engaging than others. The stand-outs for me include the instantly catchy lead off track "Could've Been With You" and the apparent sequel to "I Believe" called "I Still Believe in Love." I also really like "Closer," which is more of a funky rock track and quite different than their usual output. And check out that busting harmonica throughout "Say Hello To My Little Friend."You can get the "new" (2005) CD at CDbaby. Also be sure to check out their myspace page.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 14
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