Although there are some albums that you can get a feel for instantly, there are others that one never truly gets a handle on. Such is the case with
Floater and this recording. A song such as "An Apology" sounds as if it was pick-pocketed from a group like
Incubus and
Live, a guitar-driven tune that still has a flair for the theatrical at times. After a bit of meandering, it then heaves itself headlong into a lean, meaty, hard rock tune in the vein of
Nickelback or
Audioslave. This same tone is taken to greater heights with the raunchy "Proviso" that brings to mind a tamer
Rage Against the Machine. From there, the group weave an ambient keyboard into a slow, plodding arrangement during "Ghost in the Making" that sways along effortlessly.
Floater can't be pigeonholed easily, especially when they change gears yet again for a mid-tempo, safe but somewhat stale "In America" that is salvaged only by lead singer's
Robert Wynia's passionate delivery. Fortunately, they redeem themselves with the finely tuned and
Police-like "Weightless" that they downplay for some fantastic results. The rhythm section of drummer
Pete Cornett and
Wynia shines here. Just as solid is the ensuing "Breakdown" that has some
U2 hues to it despite the rather lame chorus section that is quite disappointing. Just as ordinary is "Spaces in Between Us" that doesn't have much going for it. Things improve with "Everything Falls Our Way" which again touches on a radio-friendly hard rock blueprint for its success. Fortunately,
Stone by Stone closes on a high note, with the bombastic "Home in the Sky" that is a slow, beefy homage to classic British heavy metal.