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With such a creative name as In Praise of Folly, one might imagine the CD to be along the same lines, but to my disappointment, The Present Age is 53:06 minutes of the exact same sound and tempo without a single hint of diversity. Within their sounds of atmospheric rock lie philosophical lyrics discussing mainly the role of passion--a passion deeper than the sensual, materialistic and selfish patterns of "the present age" around us--hence the name.

I must salute In Praise of Folly for its intricate song formats and deep lyrical content. Each instrument plays a specific and rather complex part in the songs. The songs aren't constructed in the typical verse-chorus-verse structure, which can sometimes be hard to follow but is unique nonetheless. The overall sound is very pleasant and soothing, and I enjoy their use of the trombone and piano.

As for In Praise of Folly's lyrics, I am still in the dust as to what some of the songs are attempting to reveal. However, I was able to pick up a phrase here and there after re-reading the words many times (maybe after 42 or 43, just to throw some numbers out there). There is a lot of repetition. For example, the song "Seemingly Perfect" consists of one repetitive phrase: "Far ways to come far away to be far ways to come far a ways to love."

Each song includes slow, mellow rhythms with vocals echoing through them. Hoping that there would be some sort of change in tempo or tone, I kept listening and listening and listening and listening . . . but halfway into the CD, I had an epiphany: all the songs are the same. Profound, I know. Though the band is very musically talented, it lacks variety on this album. I'm not saying the band has to completely change its style--I'm just proposing that a slight change in tempo to decipher one song from the next might not be a bad thing. The band says it is trying to "distance [itself] from anything resembling a boring or simple construction," and though the song formats and lyrical content are far from simple, In Praise of Folly forgets to ditch the "boring" aspect.

At least the band is consistent. I know that if I turn on the CD, I can listen to the slow, mellow rhythms and reverberating vocals for as long as I want without having to skip a song or jump to a different part of the album. If you want good music to zone out or sleep to, this is the CD for you. Otherwise, save your money.

Sarah Verno 6/19/04