You may never have heard of the band Crash Rickshaw, but fans of Project 86 know who exactly who Steven Dail and Randy Torres are. The duo teams up with Alex Albert on the skins and Joby Harris who leads the vocals to form an updated grunge style that reminds you of the Seattle sound of the 1990's. Though the band originally formed eight years ago, The Unknown Clarity is only their sophomore release.

The album starts off with "Rattlesnake," which is probably the best track on the album. The sound of fast guitars rattle ears and you can feel Joby's emotions as he sings. Next is "8 Hour Crush," which follows the fast-paced lead of "Rattlesnake." "Bored Reporters" is a unique song that attacks the press, as the lyrics go on to say, "Drag a body from the grave and we'll beat it just to keep it bleeding," which is rather unexpected and sadly funny.

Unfortunately, the highlights of the album are over after the first three tracks. The remaining songs on the album leave something to be desired. Joby's voice becomes hard to deal with at times. The lyrics aren't bad, but they're too often not especially memorable. And the overall feel sounds more like something from a garage rather than a studio. Tracks like "Who Will Go" and "Victims Lament" deliver good messages, but leave listeners wishing for more. Steven and Randy have definitely proved that they are more than just half of Project, but it's tough to think that The Unknown Clarity is something that fans will be enjoying very much.

- Review date: 4/2/08, written by Kevin Hoskins