Title: They don't need Natalie to be good
Product review: I am more prone to give this album a 3.5 stars, but 4 is more where I'm leaning. I adored 10,000 Maniacs, and later Natalie's solo albums, but was quite dissapointed in their first album without her, "Love Among The Ruins". This album, though, is a HUGE improvement. The tracks are upbeat and positive without being repetitive; ala "In My Tribe". In fact, the whole album sounds like songs that would have been good B-Sides to "In My Tribe" singles. "Ellen" and "Once A City" are great songs in the Maniac tradition. If you remember the Maniac hayday, or like the new rise in folk/pop rock, then you should give "The Earth Pressed Flat" a chance.
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