Like Buckley, Maggi, Pierce and E.J. are acoustic-based, wandering along from the obvious inspirations ("Butterfly," "Burning the Sun," etc.) but versed in the rhythms of reggae, the frayed senses of rock, and the casual improvisations of jazz, without binding them to any one source. The differences, however, are more particular. While Jeff opted for a tension-laden sound that keyed off of his distinctive, numinous voice, MPE are honest about what they do- sing and write songs together, but without any unique vision or special faculty. However, there are some interesting song structures and impressive lyrics here that venture outside of the norm, take heckavu lot more chances than most acoustic artists, and then come out swinging again. And in that respect, Buckley probably couldn't be prouder.