This is an Enhanced CD which contains regular audio tracks, multimedia computer files and a link to the artist's website with the help of a web browser.
Our Lady Peace: Raine Maida (vocals); Jamie Edwards (guitar, keyboards); Mike Turner (guitar); Duncan Coutts (bass); Jeremy Taggart (drums); Ray Kurzweil (samples).
Additional personnel: Tylea Lanni (vocals); Matt Cameron (drums).
Adhering to the time-honored "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy, this quartet of Canadian rockers doesn't tamper much with the sound it established on previous albums, instead focusing on the strengths that brought the group so much attention in the past. Our Lady Peace has always been about the combination of churning guitars, pounding drums, and hook-oriented melodic sensibilities.
On SPIRITUAL MACHINES the band alternates between all-out rockers and mid-tempo cuts that bring the dynamics down a notch in order to showcase the band's way with a well-written tune. Interspersed along the way are some thematic threads that stitch together a vaguely futuristic sci-fi concept, but you can leave that to be fleshed out by MTV. On SPIRITUAL MACHINES the song is the thing, and Our Lady Peace delivers these songs with maximum energy and facility.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (5/24/01, pp.89-90) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Their 4th album shows no change in their rock-festival-ready sound nor any lessening in their likable earnestness....their hazy songwriter-ish rock makes for pleasant exploration....alternately chunky and sinuous..."
Entertainment Weekly (3/16/01, p.68) - "...Solid hooks, power-pop chords, and singer Raine Maida's whiny vocals combine to create a well-functioning but earth-bound machine." - Rating: B-
