Rating: 4.5 Pulses

At first listen The Pace of Our Feet sounded like an immaculately produced collection of songs, executed with folk and blues sensibilities, and a certain amount of humor and intelligence. I was prepared to praise their knack for telling tales and painting musical pictures, their gumption for standing on the edge of so many styles of music and producing a loosely termed “rock” album with a lot of pluck, range and emotion. I was, in short, prepared to write an extremely positive review.

And then the book that houses the CD pulled me in.

You see, The Pace of Our Feet isn’t just an album, although the music is good enough to stand on its own. It’s a package deal. Each song is threefold; every track has an additional original piece of art and a work of literature, both inspired by the song. The result is an album that explores the range of perception and creativity and invites a much deeper look at each of these songs.

In some cases it’s hard to tell what came first, the stories, the music, or the art. I like to think they were all out there, just waiting to find each other.

Ultimately there are so many perspectives for each of these stories. It’s like having a tiny window into the heads of other people, spying what the music means to them. It’s a small reminder that we each take something different from every piece of music we hear. The stories, poems and art open additional doors, and take our minds steps further into the creative process. It’s a project that could, in theory, go around in circles forever. But, for consumption and sanity’s sake, I like what they’ve done and how far they’ve gone. I’m just jealous they didn’t ask me to write a story. Next time guys, right?

So now I have to write a glowing review, and trust me, my praise has rarely been this heartfelt.

The songs carry a sense of history, whether it’s the setting for the story or the instrumentation. There is also a sense of motion across the album, from childhood dreams to the present in “Kerosene” or moving to Montana in the album’s title track.

Last year I had the good luck to meet Milis, the Irish duo who visited Nashville and recorded the strings on The Pace of Our Feet. The first time I really felt their touches on the album was in “Castles,” my favorite song on the album, which just happens to have my favorite picture attached to it, “Passenger,” a glorious, abstract, red piece with heavy brushstrokes across the frame. The picture caries the feeling of the open road and sense of longing that pull me into the song.

It’s not all slow and dramatic on the album, although I’m a big fan of the moody narrative that runs through it. “Caspian Parade” is still dramatic, but punched up with vaudeville-esch vamps of piano and horns, and “Until The Sunrise” is a swinging blues/rock tune, with rollicking piano and guitar.

Somehow Justin Tam and Jamie Bennet (the Nashville-based minds behind “Quote”) manage to skirt the edges of pop, folk, blues, old-school country, and rock and meld it together in a set of tracks that feel like they belong together. The stories and paintings only make them better. I have a great deal of respect for producer Mike Odmark; the album is a masterpiece.

The Pace of Our Feet is definitely intense. If you’re in the mood for some thoughtful music, pop in the CD. If you’re ready for the whole experience, put on a track, take a look at the picture, then read the story while you listen. Then try the picture again. Then have one last listen to the song. Trust me, it’s a powerful experience.

The project ends on a personal and emotional note with “Tired Eyes,” a beautiful track with sweeping strings, and the accompanying story, “Sunday Silhouettes” written by Tam about his grandparents.

For ordering information and upcoming dates on the musical and visual tour, visit quotemusic.net.