Native Window - Native Window
Star City Recording Company
www.nativewindow.com

Rating: B

Native Window is the band Kansas, minus vocalist Steve Walsh.  It’s a long story, but basically, Kansas continue to be in a creative void, mainly due to the refusal by chief songwriters, Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh, to write music for the band.  The remaining members, guitarist Rich Williams, drummer Phil Ehart, multi-instrumentalist David Ragsdale and bass player and lead singer Billy Greer, got together, with acoustic instruments, in Ehart’s basement, and began playing music for music’s sake.  What started as fun turned into a band that will actually open for Kansas on a few of the band’s upcoming tour dates.   

Native Window is not a Kansas clone, however.  Many of the self-titled disc are much more singer/songwriter flavor than their day gig music.  That does not mean this is just a bunch of guys with acoustics singing about love—far from it.  While the songs may have begun as acoustic pieces, most have morphed into a hybrid of acoustic and electric, and all feature solos passes from either Ragsdale or Williams.  Bottom line: This is good stuff but don’t expect “Carry on Wayward Son.”   

The album begins with one of the two songs that could win the coveted Best Song on the Album Award, titled “Money.”  Greer sings of a utopian vision for humanity amongst a musical wall of sound that captures, and captivates the listener.  “Still” follows the song and is the other standout track.  Other highlights are the funky, yet heavy, “Blood in the Water” and “Surrender.”  All said, there is not a bad track on the album, throw in the fact the album was recorded at Kansas producer Jeff Glixman’s studio and you have a great sounding collection of full music that showcases the individual musical souls of each member of Native Window.   

– Jeb Wright