From the moment I hit 'play', I knew Cliff Houck's 4AM was going to hit the spot. All of a sudden I feel like it should be summer outside, that my windows should be open and that I'm up far too late. Again.

"At times, it can be difficult to express one's feelings with words. Especially when you wrestle with some of those haunting "skeletons in the closet". For me, a guitar is a voice that can be utilized as a means of expressing some of my innermost feelings and an enhanced extension of emotion..." Mission accomplished, I would think.

This song is lulling; I'm sure that any blues fan will get pulled into this one. Perfect timing, sharp solos and a great mix make this track practically flawless. From its gentle beginning to its edgy ending, there just isn't any room for lyrics; they would only be a distraction in this awesome instrumental. The synth sounds are few and come in and fade out with perfect precision. The drums are non-abrasive and tucked away neatly under the main message.

4AM is the feature track on the "Dog Daze" cd and Cliff Houck has no one to thank but himself. "Because he typically performs all tracks on his recordings, he refers to the end result as ' Self-inflicted '".

This song ends at 6:00 and it ends too fast for me. A definite repeat play, this song is so personal that I almost feel like thanking Cliff for letting me in on it. 4AM was started at sundown and was finished (hence its name) at 4 a.m., and is far more accomplished than many songs that take months to complete.

Charisma: 8.50
Technical Skill: 9.00
Structure: 8.00
Interest: 8.00
Lyrics: n/a
Performance: 9.00
Arrangement: 8.50
Recording Quality: 8.00
Long Term Appeal: 7.50
OVERALL: 8.30

What do these scores mean?

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