The album opens with its lead single Devil in Drag, which somewhat sets the tone for the rest of the album - which is pretty svelte at around 45 minutes in length. Despite the organic and acoustic nature of the album, Beautiful Shade of Grey still rocks - and there is some bite here. It is not an album made up of ballads, but there are definite nods to albums like Led Zeppelin III throughout - with the acoustic guitars of Logue and the warm keyboards of Christian 'Chrism' Pulkkinen (Simulacrum; Adamantra; Epicrenel; Eden's Curse) providing the main melodies against the punchy, hollow drumming of LaBrie's son Chance's (Falset). Keyboards open the song in spacey fashion, before the acoustic guitars kick in. A warm synth lead provides the first big musical hook, before LaBrie takes over for the smooth verses - which soon give way to a big chorus which is one of the album's hookiest moments. LaBrie's vocal approach throughout is generally floaty and breathy, and lacks some of the aggression that he is known for with Dream Theater. He soars during the song's hookier moments, though, and the chorus is very memorable thanks to his melodies - as well as an inventive backing vocal arrangement. There is little progressive rock excess here, but there are some occasional guitar solos - and LaBrie's regular lead guitarist Marco Sfogli (Creation's End; PFM; IceFish) provides a neo-classical acoustic guitar solo to the song. Supernova Girl reins in the rockier nature of Devil in Drag, and goes for something of a melodic/soft rock vibe with floaty acoustic guitar chords, the occasional melodic guitar lead from Sfogli, and lots of warm organ to provide an enveloping halo. Musically, Devil in Drag was more involved. It was riffier and featured a more complex arrangement, but Supernova Girl is very much a vocal piece - and the chorus really showcases LaBrie at his best vocally. He has come under quite a bit of criticism for his abilities in recent years, but he sounds great throughout the album - with the chorus here soaring with AOR-esque hooks in his usual inimitable style. A great electric guitar solo from Sfogli adds some additional melodies, too, and the song is a real highlight for me. Give and Take is a bit more involved musically, and features a much stronger bass presence than the previous two songs. Logue handles the album's bass guitar duties, too, and the song is very much bass-led - with Logue's snaking melodies providing the main hooks. Chrism's organ has a bit more bite to it this time, and he incorporates a few classical piano runs, whilst Sfogli's role is significantly expanded to include lots of guitar leads throughout - which often have an Eastern-tinged vibe. The song feels heavier thanks to the bass presence and the growl of the organ, whilst the lyrics and LaBrie's vocal performance have more of a snarl to them to better suit this shift in tone. It is one of the more overtly 'progressive' sounding songs on the album, and it shows that LaBrie still wanted to craft interesting and intricate songs despite stripping things back somewhat.
Sunset Ruin is a ballad, and funnily enough it probably sounds the closest to LaBrie's past - as the overall style and his approach to how he sings the song remind me of some of the short, floaty ballads that can be found on a number of Dream Theater albums. The song has quite a dense string arrangement, which adds depth, whilst sweeping acoustic guitars add a swinging rhythm. Bar a short Sfogli solo, though, there is little to latch onto musically. There are no big riffs or hooks here, with the music acting purely as a bed for LaBrie's vocals. This sounds like a criticism, but it is not - as the star of the show is definitely LaBrie. His performance throughout Sunset Ruin is one of the album's strongest in my opinion, and it shows his range and depth of emotion perfectly. Few singers can pull off the floaty approach to ballads that he does so well - and Sunset Ruin is definitely a song that plays to his strengths as a result, even if it is somewhat familiar. Hit Me Like a Brick returns to the more riff-based approach of Devil in Drag, but the star throughout the track for me is Chrism. LaBrie shines, of course, thanks to him taking a bit of a different vocal approach for the bluesy rocker - especially early on - but it is the keyboard work throughout that makes the song work for me. There is a lot of great organ throughout, which pulses and adds melodies behind Logue's acoustic riffing - and there are even a few sections where the organ takes over, Deep Purple style. Chrism switches over to his piano during the verses, though, where he adds a gorgeous melodic refrain throughout that perfectly complements the vocal melodies. This refrain elevates the song further for me, and the track is another highlight thanks to Chrism's playing - as well as another tight, melodic Sfogli solo. Wildflower is the only original song here that is not credited as being co-written by LaBrie - with the track instead having been written by Logue alone. It is a relatively simple acoustic-based song, but there is still a big sound throughout. The big acoustic guitar chords drive everything, whilst some busy bass playing and shimmering keyboards add plenty of depth. Sfogli's acoustic solo is very laid back and whimsical, which perfectly suits the somewhat upbeat, yet organic, nature of the track. LaBrie's vocals are a bit more theatrical and closer to his typical delivery throughout the song as a result of this slightly more upbeat nature - and as the song moves towards a powerful coda he briefly lets rip and sounds akin to his typical Dream Theater delivery. The very short, a cappella Conscience Calling follows, which is a harmony vocal piece that sees LaBrie delivering a short set of lyrics alone - with many layers of vocal harmonies providing the 'music' in effect. I am not sure that it adds a lot to the album, but it is an interesting experiment - and it is very short so it does not outstay its welcome.
The home straight of the album is generally a bit more rocking, with What I Missed taking things up a notch. The song opens quite slowly, though, with some gentle piano and LaBrie's melodic opening vocals - but the song soon opens up and becomes much grander. The acoustic guitar riffing throughout has a real drive, and the mid-paced riffs are packed full of groove. The bass is pushed to the fore again, and the keyboards move back and forth between grand string embellishments and organic organ pulses. Many of the songs here, in my opinion, would not suit being 'rocked up' and played in a style more akin to LaBrie's usual sound. What I Missed is one song that would, though, and I feel that playing the song in a more traditional hard rock/metal style might actually improve it somewhat. The current arrangement works pretty well, though, and it certainly shows that acoustic-based songs do not just have to be ballads or bland singer-songwriter pieces. There is a lot of depth to the song, and there is definitely a strong Led Zeppelin vibe throughout - especially in the way that Chrism approaches the keyboards. Am I Right slows things down again, though, and the song is the album's second ballad. Considering the depth of many of the tracks here, Am I Right is pretty simple arrangement-wise. There is a lot to be said for Logue's simple guitar arrangement, though, and it really allows LaBrie to shine vocally - and he sings the song in a much more full-bodied manner, largely avoiding the floatiness of Sunset Ruin. Chrism's piano playing throughout is fairly busy though, and his melodic choices definitely remind me of some of Elton John's go-to licks and rhythms - but they never overpower the song, which is still very vocal-focused. Theresa Thomason, who has contributed to Dream Theater's albums and concerts in the past adds some vocals to the song, too, although her contributions are generally restricted to harmonies - but she does add some wordless, Pink Floyd-esque lines to the song's soaring coda. Having referenced Led Zeppelin a few times throughout this piece, it is fitting that the album comes to a close with a pretty spirited and faithful rendition of Ramble On - from 1969's Led Zeppelin II. The song is played pretty straight, although it does perhaps feel a little more organic and stripped back from Led Zeppelin's hard rocking original. LaBrie's version still rocks pretty hard though, but the punch tends to come from the rhythm section - as the band resist them temptation to strap on their Les Pauls. LaBrie's does a great job throughout vocally, delivering the big chorus with aplomb, whilst Sfogli also impresses with some great melodic guitar leads. Ramble On ends the album on an upbeat note, as well as nodding to one of its biggest overall influences. It has taken me a few listens to appreciate Beautiful Shade of Grey, which is interesting considering its relative simplicity, but the songs have opened up to me quite a bit now and it is an album that I have been enjoying quite a bit of late. It is an interesting change of direction for LaBrie, and it shines a light on his creativity and songwriting, which is something that does not happen too often within Dream Theater - and even on some of his previous solo albums.
The album was released on 20th May 2022 via InsideOut Music. Below is LaBrie's promotional music video for Devil in Drag.
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