AMG Review of Secret Machines

Tim Sendra
All Music Guide

Between their last album -- 2006's Ten Silver Drops -- and 2008's Secret Machines, the Secret Machines lost vocalist and guitarist Ben Curtis and gained ex-Tripping Daisy guitarist Phil Karnats. The switch hasn't done much damage to their arena-friendly sound, as Karnats favors the same mix of heavy riffage and noodly psych and Brandon Curtis handles the vocals with back-row projection and gusto. This is good news for fans of Ten Silver Drops; anyone looking for a change may be disappointed.