OSI

I have both OSI Cd's and IMHO Free is the better. the songs are well written and the sampling of newscasts is cut to a minimum. the music and lyrics do all the talking! Jim Matheos' guitar and Kevin Moore's k/b weave together seamlessly. the drum beats come mostly from a machine, but when Mike Portnoy plays it's phenominal as always.i love OSI and hope more music is in the future from them.

I finally broke down and purchased the second outing from the supergroup OSI.
Am I ever glad I did.

I love the first album and listen to it quite often even after owning it for a few years. The mixed reviews of the 2nd album made me hesitate but I see I had no need to worry. True, the previous album is overall more of a classic, but here we have OSI gaining a focus and making some darn fine modern prog rock.

I miss Steve Wilson's contribution, but am a happy camper after a few spins of the disc. Oh, and be sure to get this bonus disc version -- you'll be glad you sprung for the extra tracks.

This album has its similiarities to the previous OSI release (it's the same two guys, same band), but has some very interesting divergences from the first. I bought the double cd American version, and found that the second cd is well worth the extra $$. The first cd of Free sticks closer to Office of Strategic Influence, with the exception of Our Town. The second cd content may be a little too experimental for some people, but listen to it on headphones, and the full effect of some of the songs becomes evident. Remain Calm is a real trip.

I don't know how much effort these guys are putting into these OSI projects, but it's working.

I intentionally waited for O.S.I.'s Free (Special Edition) album to be released befor purchasing, or even listening for that matter. Based upon their first album, I felt this follow up album is right on par with their sonic excellence! If you read the reviews posted on O.S.I. Free US release, you will see that I am not alone in this critique. I have to agree, however, that this release tends to be more oriented towards Kevin Moore's work. I guess you could sum it up as sounding like a supercharged Chroma Key, but I hate to attach a label to something in this way. Instead, I will say that O.S.I. are in fine form in this latest offering.

I love your entire catalog of prog artists and try to get all those special 2 CD editions.

Yes the 1 disc version is supper as was the original version of their first
Office of Strategic Influence which also had a German 2 disc version.
Only the Japanese edition is available on Amazon. But look for used copies if available.

and if you can't afford the 2 disc version...just go for the one CD...but you'll want more I think!
I love Kevin Moore's work with other side project Chroma Key,
and Mike Portnoy....need I say more???

Of curse she can sing, but only in the shower.
All the reviews are false.
Don't buy this record.

This is very unique music with surprising vocal qualities, smoothness and sophisticated lyrics. This singer has potential!

I am so excited to have discovered Osi's Debut Album "Whisper Not". Osi takes the listener, as if she's talking with you, from my absolute favorite rendition of Benny Godson's "Whisper Not", to a rare version yet breathtaking version of "Love Look Away", to a tearjerking "Rien De Rien" from E. Piaf. I can't get enough of her, and wanted more, more, and more after the last track. SHE MUST make a SECOND ALBUM because soon millions are going to be crazed about Osi and want more. Osi is soon to be the next Piaf, Krall, Jones of Interntaional Jazz!!!!

I am so excited to have discovered this new talent via Amazon.com!!! Osi's voice smoothly takes you along great jazz classics from Godson's "Whisper Not" to an unconventional "Love Look Away" to a tearjerking Piaf song "Rien De Rien". Once u finish, u not only feel likw you know Osi, but u want more, more, and more later. Her chords are angelic, free, daring, ring of the human spirit. I WANT A SECOND ALBUM soon because the joy contatined on her debut is not enough for me, and I am sure for millions of listeners to come!!!

Osi"s debut album is a masterpiece, reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto but very original.
She sings some antonio carlos jobim songs and some familiar ones like "birdland" but puts her own spin on them. her back up players are great. and what really makes her stand out to me is that she sings in portuguese, in french and in hebrew (and makes all three sound equally sexy. she played edith piaf in an off broadway show! heres hoping we dont have to wait long for the next album!!

I reviewed this album way back when it came out, but I definitely need to review it again. Over the years, my appreciation for this band has increased by leaps and bounds. As I began to tire of the same old "progmetal" formula, this different take on the genre by this allstar lineup has become more and more of what I want out of this kind of music. OSI is just a listening experience like no other.

Of course, everyone knows that Kevin Moore is a melodic master. His past contributions to Dream Theater and Fates Warning have brought him a great deal of well-deserved praise. However, here he's able to bring more creativity to the table than ever before. Taking a little bit of progmetal familiarity, and adding to the mix a little bit of brit-pop, psychedelic rock, and even electronic music, this is a wonderfully creative and diverse album.

But of course, Kevin doesn't deserve all of the credit, as the rest of the band is top-notch as well. Mike Portnoy's drumming here is, in my opinion, the best I've ever heard from him bar none. Here, he brings a sense of subtlety and diversity to his playing that was sorely lacking before. Not nearly as many explosive jaw-dropping tom fills, but there's room for that as well. Jim Matheos brings his trademark blend of crunchy riffs and scintillating acoustics to the fold, and bassmaster Sean Malone lays down some wicked grooves. Admittedly, if I have to complain about something, this album doesn't really show the full extent of Malone's awesomeness, but his playing is still solid for sure. To really appreciate him though, you need to check out Cynic, Aghora, and Gordian Knot (and notice I said "and", not "or").

I didn't really care for Kevin's vocals when I got this album, but they really grew on me a lot. His deadpan delivery may seem a bit dry at first, but it definitely fits the overall feel of the album, and it's a nice alternative to the usual high-voiced progmetal style.

The album eases you in with the riff-heavy duo of "The New Math" and "OSI", and then quickly shifts gears with the haunting "When You're Ready", the vaguely Crimsonian instrumental "Horseshoes and B-52's", and the mid-eastern flavored "Head". Even deeper, you have the super-epic "ShutDOWN", with its monstrous buildup and sweet guest vocals from Steven Wilson, and perhaps my favorite, "Memory Daydreams Lapses", with its heavily electronic-inspired keyboards and Kevin's haunting monotone vocals. The album ends perfectly with the concise "Standby (Looks Like Rain)", with more than a little bit of a Pink Floyd vibe (and that's never a bad thing).

And speaking of Pink Floyd, if you get the bonus disc, there's an amazing cover of "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" that's just wonferfully creepy (really cool percussion as well). There's also "The Thing That Never Was", which takes various themes from the album, and condenses them into a 17-minute instrumental. Despite that, it doesn't really feel like it was just pieced together, and has a perfect sense of cohesion and flow. It's sort of like what LTE might have sounded like with Kevin Moore instead of Jordan Rudess.

All in all, this is a really great project, and although it might not appeal to many progmetal fans, I think there's a lot to love. The follow-up release, "Free", is great as well. Sadly enough, I still haven't bought any Chroma Key yet, but I really really REALLY need to. In the meantime, I recommend you pick up some OSI. You probably won't regret it.

(Now we just need them to re-record "Space Dye Vest" with Kevin on vocals. Oh, how sweet that would be...)