Tear Down the Barriers is the debut release from UK band enQ. I still haven't figured out how to correctly pronounce the name ("ink?" "Ankh?" - whatever) but this quintet's attempt at "dance oriented fusion of funk, folk, and rock" makes for a pretty entertaining CD.

I say "pretty entertaining" because Tear Down the Barriers has some questionable quirks. At first I was impressed with the funky, almost jam band feel of the album. After listening to it a few more times, though, I took notice of the lyrics and was a little confused by what I was hearing. Verses about selling pigs and giants building causeways made me go "hmm?" Thankfully, the absolutely infectious hooks and chorus harmonies balanced out the weird lyrical moments.

Lyrics aside, enQ does a great job of transmitting their bubbling energy to the listener. Most of the songs on the CD bounce along to driving drums and a bass line that truly grooves through all twelve tracks. Violinist Vicky Brown adds a rootsy overtone to the album, and was a big smile-maker for me the first time I listened to the CD.

So how does Tear Down the Barriers stack up on the scale for me? That's an interesting question. From a technical standpoint, this is a very good first CD. The recording quality is excellent, fully capturing enQ's essence in twelve tracks. Musically, these five musicians have the skills and credentials to pay the bills and then some (some of the vocals rubbed me the wrong way, but that was due more to personal taste than the singers' shortcomings). Stylistically, though, I get a little ambivalent about this album. It's an interesting take on the whole roots, retro-folk fusion idea, but I could see a lot of listeners saying "whuh?" or dismissing the album altogether. If you're into roots or want to hear an interesting take on the whole jam band idea, then I'd highly recommend this CD. That is, if you can get past the giants and pig-selling drunks.