Tiles - "Window Dressing" Review

Artist/ Band: Tiles
Title: Window Dressing
Label: InsideOut Music
Year of Release: 2004

(click on the link above, for ALL band information on this and the band's other cds)

The Review:

Tiles waited 5 years to put out their new album, Window Dressing on May 25th, 2004. Although I haven’t heard their earlier material, I can go from what others said that Tiles is or rather was a Rush influenced band. On Window Dressing, they seem to go beyond that reference to some growth especially with a guest violinist named Matthew Parameter (vocalist & keyboardist of Discipline). Although I’ve heard better things from the InsideOut roster, I wouldn’t say this is bad. The music especially on the title track comes off as a partially structured instrumentation that seems like 3 songs pasted together to get the “epic”. To me, to have a epic on an album isn’t a rule for any of the progressive music genres. I can say most fans would just rather have a good structured, flowing song regardless of length. They especially defy that Rush stigma with a jazz-rock-fusion induced "Stop Gap" and classical "Unicornicopia", which goes to show that they believe in what progressive means.

According to sources, Window Dressing is a story about someone confronting and contemplating the uncertainty of knowing who to trust and what to believe. A story of disillusionment illustrated through one person's experience and thought processes. It really is a universal subject that some of us have or will have encountered in some point in our lives. The lyrics don’t go too deep in this subject but enough to get their point across.

From reading about Tiles and hearing this CD, I think the best is yet to come from the band, I just hope they don’t stray too far from the progressive side of the fence. If you’re into the Rush influenced bands or similar, then Tiles’ Window Washing should be on you “to get’ list”. In fact on Tiles’ website, there’s a 2 disc version available with some extras.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on May 31st, 2004

Tracks:

1. Window Dressing

2. Remember to Forget

3. All She Knows

4. Capture the Flag

5. Tear-Water Tea

6. Step Gap

7. Unicornicopia

8. Paintings

9. A.02

10. Slippers in the Snow

11. Spindrift

Reviewed Discography

Here are other reviews by this artist at ProgNaut.com.

"Window Dressing" 2004
"Fly Paper" 2007