Secret Samadhi

Review by Gisele Grignet

After listening to this record a couple of times I'd have to say it's just not grabbing me, at least not the way that Live's last album, Throwing Copper, did. And I find that Mental Jewelry, their first album, now stands out as their strongest. Live's first two records really stood apart from each other, but now, with Secret Samadhi, it seems as though Live are trying to capture something they've already done, and writing what they think people want to hear. It doesn't sound like they're writing for themselves at all, anymore.

The only songs that come close to really showing a departure from their last album are "Lakini's Juice" and "Freaks." Meanwhile, "Merica" has a cool groove and weird lyrics. The rest sounds incomplete and at times a little self-indulgent (the lyrics often sound like a stream of non-consciousness). "Century," "Ghost" and "Rattlesnake" look like Live, even sound like Live, but something is missing.

If you really, really love Live bad, you might like this one. Personally, I'm kinda disappointed.