TUESDAY THE SKY's origins could almost be considered accidental. Guitarist Jim Matheos, famed for his work with progressive metal giants Fates Warning alongside projects such as OSI and his collaboration with John Arch, Arch / Matheos, penned a few songs that did not fit in with any of his established outlets, and intrigued by this, decided to write more and see where this took him. The album has 11 songs, and "Bend Towards Light" is first. The opening sound is smooth and gentle, with a minimum of sonority. Gradually, layers of melody are added, and the full beauty of the song is displayed, with melancholy tendencies at times. "Between Wind and Water" is next, and it has darker, heavier, and more mysterious tones. Jim keeps many of them hidden beneath the surface, and it's more about the ambiance they create than anything else.

"Closure" is a short two-minutes of clean guitar with reverb, and the gentle melodies are warm, and soothing. "Does it Need to be so Loud" is a bit of a misleading title, because again, the sonority take a back seat to the ambiance. This song features a lot of tense darkness, before Jim lets out the demon, and it quickly ducks back into the shadows. "Get Lost" has more soft and delicate guitar notes, but a little more sonority. There is still a good deal of darkness just out of reach in the shadows, and it's amazing how he holds that feeling throughout the album. "Ghost Train" is aptly titled, because it feels like a train that you aren't really sure is out there on the tracks. Occasionally, you think you hear it careening through the night, but when you get up to look, it seems it may be your imagination instead.

"Set Fire to the Stars" has both a quicker pace, and some backing keyboards mixed with the simple but pleasing guitar melody. The guitar tones are accented, purposeful, and striking. "The Last Lonely Lamppost" has a jovial little rhythm, still tucked in the shadows, but it does allow a few quick glances. "The Nearest Exit May be Behind You" is another song steeped in mystery. The gentle tones are somewhat somber, and I find myself asking, what is going on, or where are things headed? At least, until the big riff drops like a massive meteor. "Zugzwang" closes the album, and it's another gentle song wrapped in questions…questions that are meant for pondering.

It's hard not to compare Jim's solo work with the work of FATES WARNING, and I do seem some parallels. Like the infamous Progressive band, some of the songs are more about the ambiance than sonority and riffs in your face. This gives you pause to think, and reflect, and those are the top two qualities I took away from the album.