Starting your album with the lyrics "Here's to new beginnings, here's to a new start" might sound like it refers to a new attempt at success. But in Hundred Year Storm's case, it was their debut album that attracted the attention of Floodgate. In fact, the opening lyrics better reflect the the positive and hopeful attitude found throughout the rest of the songs. Conscious of the loneliness most of us experience at some point in our lives, singer Bill McCharen refuses to let go of the only hope he knows.

Introducing us immediately to the spacey arrangement of their instruments, Hundred Year Storm kick off the album with '00:01,' a mostly choral track that utilizes a repetitious vocal hook in it's favor. This is one of several instrument-biased tracks founds on the album, produced to span the universe and all it's glory. The more vocalized tracks on the album are no exception to this handiwork. 'Yesterday We Had It All,' which is probably the fan-favorite of the album is as endearing as McCharen is pleading when he says "Be strong and take heart and tell me you'll never let go" in a likely reference to time apart from a loved one. 'August On Fire' strips down to a keyboard and back beat, reminding me immediately of the sweet drowsy pop of The Postal Service. Before heading back into regular swing, acoustic guitars and McCharen's entire vocal range sustain 'Where Beauty Never Dies.' The longest and perhaps most entertaining track on the album is 'The Golden Record. Coincidentally, the actual CD is designed around this nearly instrumental track. Samples which seem to be from old-time radio are generously peppered into the mix here. 'Winter Is Always Good For Broken Hearts' is the most ominous of tracks on the album, and evokes a uneasy feeling through it's disheartened phrasing. 'Joy, you're not so far song, you're just a morning away' describes the night before '00:01.' 'Reach' and 'Crash And Burn' are rightfully placed near the end of the album as they do little to attract listeners. 'Pilot's Last Broadcast' closes the album instrumentally without the same skill that the others tracks displayed.

While this CD is fairly good for the first half, the second half lacks the hooks that a band like this relies on to really catch the listener's ear. The production on the album is considerably layered and very supportive of HYS's vast reaching. This band definitely has a good sound under wraps here and a little work could result in an important resulting album. If you've been on a long quest for spacey guitar-driven rock, you may be at the end. For HYS this is just the beginning.