Sills & Smith are major Pink Floyd aficionados, and Echoes in Time stands as nothing less than Exhibit A in the matter. On their fifth LP, the Ottawa duo exhibit their devotion to the music of Gilmour-era Floyd via the spacey backdrop behind their often genre-melding, always ambitious songwriting. Over 13 songs and 60 minutes, Sills & Smith manage to demonstrate multiple personalities and moods on Echoes in Time, moving from lucid prog rock ("Slicing Up the Clouds"), to barroom Canadiana ("We Are Receiving"), to dusty folk rock ("Is the Mirror Reflecting You?") and Farfisa-driven smooth jazz ("One Step Behind").
No matter where Sills & Smith travel on Echoes in Time, though, the duo always hover around that same mid-'70s arena rock era, oftentimes stripping some of the "progressive" out of their brand of prog rock. Overall, Sills & Smith come off as seasoned and focused songwriters and distinguished instrumentalists on Echoes in Time.
(Independent)No matter where Sills & Smith travel on Echoes in Time, though, the duo always hover around that same mid-'70s arena rock era, oftentimes stripping some of the "progressive" out of their brand of prog rock. Overall, Sills & Smith come off as seasoned and focused songwriters and distinguished instrumentalists on Echoes in Time.