Steve Germany bills himself as an artist who has groove-based songs a la Dave Matthews with the harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel. After listening to A Peculiar Kind of Clarity several times, I'd have to say he overshoots just a bit.
This is not to say, however, that this is a bad record. Quite the contrary. "Ahab" blends David Crowder vocals with a Huddle soundtrack. "Moment" comes across as an acoustic version of Bleu, a Boston-based powerhouse vocalist. Germany's guitar work is adequate to occasionally outstanding, and is at his best when performing acoustic, singer/songwriter type numbers such as "Reverie," my favorite song on the disc.
"Cope" strikes the listener as a mournful piece, dealing with fear and abuse, and "Waiting" reveals the skeletons in one's closet. A Peculiar Kind of Clarity is open, sometimes disturbing, and can be uncomfortable in the vulnerability of its subjects. Germany shows some promise as a songwriter and guitarist.
3 tocks
