"Under The Radar" is an expression used by fliers during the war, who flew very low to avoid detection by the enemy's radar. I'm not sure who the enemy is but this album has snuck up on me. A recently deceased friend was enamored of "Little Feat," and could always be convinced to talk about them and the unique and lasting impression their music had left on him. I'm pray he's in a better place, with the CD player cranked up high, listening to this return of his favorite band.

The band's history is two part disharmony, but through it all, Billy Payne has remained the solid ground upon which "Little Feat" stands. The first ten "Lowell" years were followed by, for the most part, the current makeup of the band: Bill Payne, keyboards and vocals; Paul Barrere, guitar and vocals; Shaun Murphy, vocals; Sam Clayton, percussion and vocals; Kenny Gradney, bass and vocals; Richie Hayward, drums; and Fred Tackett, guitar, mandolin. Re-united in '87, after some business trials and tribulations, the band has hooked up with CMC, where a number of rock and roll veterans have migrated. The result a new album full of the eclectic mix of sounds that make this band so appealing.

The feel of southern rock opens the album as the band seeks "Home Ground." This is followed by the almost hymnlike opening of "Eden's Wall," which talks about facing the real world by going over the wall - implying that Eden can be it's own type of prison. The sounds of "A Distant Thunder" still echo in my mind and will "take your breath away."

Funky Feat as they break out on "Hoy Hoy," which sounds like it came straight out of Motown, right down to the bass line. The title track, "Under The Radar," is one of those songs that at first doesn't really catch your attention, but grows on you. There is something about having a female vocalist in a band that allows it to go places it never did before. "Vale Of Tears" is a perfect example of this. This song would lose a lot of impact without Shaun's vocals, and just adds another direction for these Feat to take.

The first single off the album is "Loco Motive," which opens with a snappy guitar riff, and is the most pop-oriented song on the album - which probably explains its being chosen. It has an excellent guitar bridge that should play well, but the lyrics are weak compared to most of the songs on the album. The very next cut shows up the weakness of the former, as "Ferocious Morning" is just as short, but full of the visual images, that "Loco Motive" lacks.

"Voiceless Territory" is just that - an instrumental intro to "Falling Through The Worlds," both of which have an otherworldly sound to them. The keyboard play on "The Blues Don't Tell It All" lends a strong jazz feel to this intensely charged song. Dirty blues roll out on "I Got Happiness" - yeah right! This cut reminds me of Taj Mahal getting down including the harmonica. Just another example of the diversity of styles that"Little Feat" play, all of them well.

Closing the album with a song about cemeteries may seem strange, but in New Orleans, where the graves are above ground in mausoleums(due to flooding), the party never stops, and it's "Calling The Children Home" where the spirit can always rise to the occasion. Just another form of "Home Ground." "Little Feat" takes a big step back with this album.