Sound: ***1/2
Composition: ***
Musicianship: ***
Performance: ****
Total rating: 13 1/2 (out of 16)

     Massachusetts band Yoke Shire deserves kudos for originality on this collection of new, live and archival tracks spanning the group's career dating back to 1994. Comparisons here range from jazzy prog a la Jade Warrior ("Mesmerize") to heavy Hendrix-style psychedelia ("Maiden Voyage"), and spacey, Floydian atmospherics coloring a 20-minute live rendition of "The Brook, the Mirror and the Maiden." All blend seamlessly into Yoke Shire's distinctive sound, brimming with flute, piano, mandolin, marimba, percussion and symphonic synth texturing.

     Yoke Shire is brothers Brian and Craig Herlihy on multiple instruments and vocals, assisted by drummer/percussionist Brad Dillon. This material is largely instrumental, with Craig Herlihy's unusual, soulful singing style lending an intriguing twist.

     The disc opens with two brand-new cuts, followed by about 30 minutes of live material from 1999. Yoke Shire's early work closes things out via four remastered tracks from their 1995 debut EP - smoky, psychy, Hammond-inflected prog-rock, acoustic/melodic passages and more spacey atmospherics in the nine-minute title track. Much to like here from a band that deserves a wider audience.