Saga - 10,000 Days
InsideOut Music
www.insideoutmusic.com

Rating: A—

Saga's 18th studio release is bittersweet.

On one hand, we have another quirky, quality set of the band's trademark sound. Oh the other, it sees Michael Sadler bid adieu to his comrades and retreat from music. It's that realization that makes 10,000 Days particularly heartfelt. But that's no reason to snag this set; nine killer tunes is.

Let's begin with "Lifeline." There's no mistaking Ian Crichton's guitar histrionics or knack for wrapping melodies around the band's propulsive rhythms and signature keyboard layering. Equal parts pop and prog, Saga has enthralled and confounded listeners before "On The Loose" upped its popularity through heavy MTV rotation in the '80s.

"Can't You See Me Now?" straddles the line between contemporary Saga and Sadler's solo material, its lyrics laying bare the frontman's humanity while forging another forum for the band's understated interplay. Listeners seeking instrumental firepower should love "Corkentellis" and its brazen chops showcase. 

Meanwhile, the title track provides perhaps the disc's most intimate moments. Like the astronauts exploring a giant skull on the CD cover, Saga respects a past rooted in the future. It's that forward thinking that's kept the band atop its game for three decades. Sadler will be missed.