LIKE but unfortunately don't LOVE the new songs.
They seem to being following the Legends Never Die template of being quite polished, when I generally prefer his moodier/ballad content. But it's just the first four songs, sure there's a Hope To Die or No Glory In The West still to COME!
Chapter 2 is MUCH more like it for my personal Orville taste. I do love it when he goes all mournful sad cowboy.
I can see The Curse Of The Blackened Eye being one of my absolute faves of his when all is said and done. He is REALLY serving vocals too, really quite impeccable at points.
The Curse of the Blackened Eye really is tremendous. Blush definitely stands out of the new songs. The closer is very nice too, a bit of Fade Into You musically in the verses maybe.
It does seem that he has largely moved away from the gothic country thing from the first album, I'd have liked a few more touches of that. The album feels a little bit long as well.