Chris Bullinger is a musical visionary of his own proportion. ‘Waiting To Be Seen Part 2’ continues the collection from Part 1 as seamless as can be, from a concept album that unfolds with each song, but also plays well on shuffle if you’re not following it like a story. The first line of the first track “Meet You Down The Line” follows the last track on Part 1 without skipping a note, as it leads the path to the following tracks without starting over from the previous set of tracks. The lyrics of that line are hilarious, so it doesn’t matter if they’re playing in succession, you get great tunes from Bullinger either way. Not to intentionally make comparisons with Bob Dylan, but there are some.
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“Salvation As I Know It” continues the sense of humor Bullinger is putting over on most of these songs, and if you’re not following both parts, you’ll instantly notice the Bob Dylan style shining through on “Better Half” which it flows into like butter. There’s just no way to not notice the Dylan factor, but that is not as easy to pull off as you might think, as Bullinger’s own lyrics are very poetic and clever they come out just as original. With “Remember Me” the story gets deeper as it marches to the beat of a different drum but still retaining the narrative approach, it’s a beautifully haunting track with some lovely piano and subtle but effective female backing vocals.
Chris Bullinger wakes up for another cracking song with a mission “Through The Dark” which takes you through a completely different mood after some other compelling tracks to get into with or without following the whole album storyline. This one musically carries a somewhat Beatles vibe, as well, and as the tracks run together between both albums, cuts 13-21 take up the space of Part 2. “Shine” is where things climax in the middle of the back half of the tracks, as another lyrically well written and delivered song.
More great backing vocals help this album tremendously, as well, and that’s another reason why you don’t have to follow the story to enjoy something from all these songs. Chris Bullinger’s vocals aren’t all that’s on display with tracks like “Lazy Green Dream” with its blistering guitar parts. “To Glow” naturally follows next, with a melancholy chapter to the story, featuring a lower register baritone vocal delivery from Bullinger, as where it once again changes up on “Where We Are,” with another nod clearly going back to Dylan. It’s almost like an homage to Bob Dylan if you’re not familiar with Bullenger’s body of work, which is prolific at this point between being a successful solar industry professional.
It’s also not hard to imagine how many stories Bullinger has told and yet to be heard as well, coming from his other perspectives in life, and it all makes for some tasty songs. “Where We Were” continues in that fashion, life being a series of event as Bullinger explains it. “Offerin’ Acceptance” is the only place left to go, as it ends the story, concluding what’s all to be heard on “Waiting To Be Seen Part 2.”
Garth Thomas