The new album from veteran instrumental genre-jumper John Kuzenski, THE MADCAP RETROGRADE, continues in the tradition of his earlier albums in... well... refusing to be pigeonholed in a nice, neat little descriptive box. Is it rock? You might be swayed by tracks like"Eschaton, Second Movement." Is it classical? Themes in"Arpageddon,""Eschaton" and the title track certainly ring with that familiarity, albeit in a modern electronic environment. Softer selections like the piano, guitar and/or organ driven"Requiem for Solitude,""Pastoral for Tuesday" and"Remembering Myself As I Was" are easy listening and great background, but are far from being merely ambient. Uptempo New Age may get close to describing"Tethyan Summer" (Tethys is the moon displayed on the disc and the disc and back cover of the physical CD), but even that's not somehow adequate- there's just... MORE... to the description, somehow.Most of all, as with the earlier albums, Kuzenski's approach on THE MADCAP RETROGRADE is parsimony-- in analysis and enjoyment of listening, as well as in making the most of themes by subjecting them to different combinations of beautiful instruments. If you play it and like it, or part of it, or even one particular track on it, the journey has been a successful and enjoyable one. With fifteen tracks, including fourteen original compositions and one cello-solo interpretation of the beautiful Hungarian National Anthem,"Himnusz (Cello)," running well over an hour of listening time, the album will certainly take you on an extended journey through different themes, tempos, styles and emotions by the time you get to the final, soft piano ending of its last track. Given modern trends in popular music, it is not admittedly not a collection for everybody. It is, however, a fine choice for ears that appreciate not being confined to... a nice, neat descriptive little box.