I've been listening to this disc off and on for about a month now, and each and every time I listen to it, my opinion is different. It totally depends on what kind of mood I am in. Sometimes I love it, and sometimes I just can't get into it at all.

There are definitely some good tracks on here. My only problem is that sometimes it takes so damn long just to get into the music. I'm not saying these guys don't have talent–to the contrary, I think they definitely DO have talent and musical ability, but I feel like they are holding back a lot of times–I am just left asking for more. It seems like sometimes it takes so long to get into a track, because there is so much "experimental" or "artsy" playing at the beginning of the track, that I get a little bit annoyed. When they finally do get to some good parts where I feel like they are about to finally play something with a good rocking beat, then they back off again and do some more quiet playing or just vocals with minimal music in the background. As I said before, I can't totally decide what to say about this CD. On one listening I will really love it, but the next time, the little things like the extra minute or so of just random people and kids quietly talking at the end of track 7, "Warm Cheeks, Cold Hands," I find really annoying. It would be ok if they had that talking on the last track of the album, but when there is a minute of random talking that is too quiet to even really hear in the midst of the album, I get really annoyed waiting for the next track to start; it also takes momentum away from the band and the next song.

I give these guys some additional credit because they are young (17 to 20 years old–their drummer is still in high school), they still have time to develop their sound more, and because I think this trio can really play–unfortunately, they just don't play enough. There is too much experimentation and not enough just rock or just solid music in a lot of their songs on this album. I really wish they would just rock out more on a few of the tracks. I think their vocals are good and the singer's sound seems to fit in well with the band.

Listening to certain tracks, like #3, "(Distance Time)," made me want to give them a better rating, because that song has some really intricate guitar parts and actually keeps a pretty upbeat tempo the whole time (sounds slightly Braidish with vocals on it, too). But then other tracks, like the very first one, "Fire Creates Like Machine," is really disappointing–it takes like 30 seconds of just random playing before they even get into any solid rhythm or tempo, and even then, when they finally do get something going, then they stop and go back to the quiet playing. Track 4 is another that I can't decided about: It has some really great guitar riffs, uses harmonics (which I can't help but liking whenever I hear for some reason) and even gets some screaming in there, which actually fits the track–I wish they had done some more screaming on some of their other tracks, in fact. But then, it ends with another minute or so of quieter playing and I wish they hadn't thrown that slower part in at the end but instead had just ended the track earlier. It's not that I don't like slower music. For example, track 6, "Cordially Yours," has some really good parts to it even though it is slower: complex guitars, solid drumming, and good vocals. But then track 7 I find annoying again with all of the talking in the background and at the end of the track. It seems like there are just a few key things that turn me away from this album. It definitely has some great high points, but these are offset by some unfortunate low points.

Overall, this band seems like it could really go some place if they incorporated some more catchy stuff, and got rid of some of the experimentation. If you dig Death Cab or Braid or more experimental artsy music, you might want to give these guys a chance. Don't listen to this record if you're in the mood to rock, but if you're feeling pensive or just mellow, then Eyes of Autumn might be the band for you.