The story of Chris Bullinger’s life is just as interesting as the stories of his songs on ‘Waiting To Be Seen Part 2,’ with equal mention of Part 1, but that’s because they go together, and all the songs meet up as a two part 23 song concept album. You can’t mention one without the other, or it’s like trying to guess where something is coming from. And this is a seasoned artist with a story of his own to tell, among other folk artists living the same dream. Both alums contain highlights, and Part 2 gets its due here, but not without referring the whole concept.
“Crawlin’ My Way Back To You” brings a beginning that really takes up where the story left off on Part 1, as it should, but it also stands on its own two feet, as they all do. He reminds that he likes it better when pain in only in his mind as struggles, so he’s declawed without his other half. “Salvation As I Know It” can only follow it as the title itself sums up, and that defines what’s really going on with this book of songs. Both songs open with a promise to the rest of what’s waiting.
“Better Half” starts to describe the situation already alluded to, as it sticks some glue between the cracks to smooth it over, as a long itself. The melodies are fantastic, so you don’t even have to follow the words if that’s not your thing, but I’m all for both aspects of a song, so this is right up my alley. The same affection for “Remember Me” comes, but in a completely different way, and you can see what’s so attractive about it. Almost like the album goes in twos that way, as it brings out all kinds of thoughts and emotions.
“The The Dark” is reminiscent of E Street Band’s “Born To Run” style backing arrangement, if I were to relate it to anything on the mind, as it fights for one of the high points with me, and “Shine” takes another good turn with certainly a likeable result. I’ll take many of these songs over the flavor of the day and what most singer/songwriters even have to offer. It has an immediate impact on the senses, if you’re any kind of real music enthusiast and lyric follower or not. It has a variety of songs to choose from but also plays like one long song.
Not enough can be said about “Lazy Green Dream” either, as that one track alone could take up this whole space, and I could review such cuts as this and “Shine” without mentioning the rest because those two alone have a lot to be said about in the greater scheme of things. I’d give my three cents about them, let alone two. And the last three tracks speak for themselves as they take things to the end of a long 23 track story, with these 10 from Part 2.
Trace Whittaker