Available 3/1/09

I love the Nerd Parade, and I'm not just saying that because the band is made up of my husband and (for all practical purposes) my in-laws. No, I don't blow sunshine up anyone's arse unless I actually mean it, and today, I do.

One of the awesome things about being married to the bass player in a band recording the follow-up to their first album is the incredible amount of rough demos and madness I get to listen to on a regular basis. Then there are nights like last night, when the first six near-completed songs materialize in my living room through the magic of mixing sessions and the Internet. And that's when we all lie back with our eyes closed, our ears uncovered, and our minds open... and listen.

I could talk all day about how these songs are just incredible and nobody makes music like this, break them down individually and blah blah blah... While it would all be true, I'll leave that task to the more noteworthy reviewers who will no doubt have their opinions plastered all over the new NP website when the proper time comes. For my own part, having listened to countless hours of music created by Randy over the years, I can confidently say that this new batch contains some of the best and most versatile rock songs he's ever written.

Much moreso than A Delicate Bashing, each track on The Span of a Life stands proudly on its own two feet as well as contributing to the general whole. As happened with "Resolution Day" on the last album, one of the very last tracks to be added to Span has become the instant favorite of nearly all listeners, and goes by the moniker of "Dead Air and Denial." If we are very good little girls and boys, perhaps the rumour that "DA&D" will be released as the first single will come true, and maybe, just maybe, it will be available on the band's Facebook and/or MySpace before this week is out? (HINT HINT, ya'll)

Personally, the thing that strikes me the most about Span is the transitioning between songs. For the listener who knows something about music, the individual tracks blend so seamlessly into each other that it almost defies imagination. (You'll have to hear it all to see what I mean.) Between tracks 5 and 6, I looked over at Richie, and he had this look on his face that I'm sure I shared when I remarked, "He really is a genius, you know."


The Span of a Life - coming Sunday, March 1, 2009
http://www.thenerdparade.com/