By: Ben Salvo
Rating: 8.5/11

Belting lyrics, which blend literary sophistication and decayed urban melancholy, Gray, lead singer of The Human Engine, dances on the edge of the abyss known as experimental rock. Gray’s voice is an unquestionable and indispensible asset to the Brooklyn-based band, but the opening guitar riff of The Art of Driving a Wedge (set for release this Friday, March 27th) is the quick, inviting stamp of legitimacy that any fledgling rock band would give an arm and a leg to obtain. However, as their sound begins to breach the genre walls of alternative and punk, the band has a tendency to pull back instead of taking the plunge.

The album’s opener, "Subterranean Cabaret," proclaims a lawlessness and a corruption of today’s generic rock song both lyrically and instrumentally; however, instead of continuing along the path toward total musical anarchy, The Human Engine leaves decadence behind, substituting progressive instrumentation for clean and decent chord structures you could find on any album by Incubus. A clue as to why the guitars and drums begin to settle down and start following the rules is the increased level of lyrical clarity and skillful writing present in every track. As the album rolls along, the experimental sound is sacrificed so the words are easier to understand, culminating in an acoustic ballad ("Not Superstitious") that completely misses the mark and breaks the connection to the first four songs.

Still, even the fluffiest moments of the CD don’t disappoint. Just as the track "KCMBS" begins to lose steam, despite a gratifying and unexpected section of harmony, the lyrics strike back: "I only fuck the finest corpses, and your mother’s was the best." Suddenly, leaning on a basic alternative rock sound doesn’t matter, and the ride continues.

Unplugged tracks aside, The Human Engine are an extremely talented group with a definite future in the industry. The Art of Driving a Wedge is set for release March 27th and will be available for purchase on iTunes. 'Til then, hit up The Human Engine’s MySpace for all the tracks and check the tour dates for upcoming shows because this is definitely a band to see live.