Desperate Measures: Press

"I loved their earlier CDs, but this is the best yet. The cool Steely Dan influence is still there, but the music seems deeper and more soulful than before. As ever, the lyrics are excellent; you keep picking up fun and clever lines even after multiple plays."

"Wondering where the heck the brilliant songwriters have gone these days? Despondent over feeling like the magic in music seems exclusively the domain of the past? Cheer up, my dear music lover! My cousins Bill and Rob Sunkel are here to reassure you that inspired, life-affirming, joyous yet sometimes bitingly poignant songsmithing is as alive as ever on Speaking In Tongues! At once new and familiar, like meeting up with a very old, very dear friend, the emotional affect of these songs is simply sublime. 'Glossolalia' and 'Guilty Pleasures' are WAY too sexy to deprive yourself of. 'You Really Opened My Eyes' and 'Demon Haunted World' REQUIRE pumpin' volume! THEE perfect cruising songs. 'Desiree' is miraculous perfection the likes of which we haven't seen since the peak of Chicago in the 70's and if you have a dry eye by the time you finish listening to 'Everything Breaks' you must have a stone beating in your chest. Do yourself and your friends a favor..... BUY THIS AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT AND SHARE IT!!!!"

"For the casual listener, 'Speaking in Tongues' is what we have come to expect of Desperate Measures: stellar vocals, superb writing, unforgettable melodies, breathtaking harmonies. That hasn't changed, but that's not the genius of this album. This album reaches deeper and goes farther than anything Bill and Rob have recorded so far, emotionally and intellectually. Where DM's lyrics on past albums were always tricky, clever, and thoughtful, they have now become independently publishable poetry of the sharpest kind. Where DM's melodies have always been inspired, they now go far beyond that to produce a strange feeling of inevitability: you know you haven't heard these songs before, but they feel so right -- so true, in every sense of that word -- that they seem to emerge out of some primal catalogue of songs that are ordained to be written. 'Speaking in Tongues' has an epic quality. And each time I listen, the final moments of 'Speaking in Tongues' gives me that same wistful feeling I get when I'm coming to the end of a great book and regret that it soon will be over. I'm always suspicious of Beatles comparisons, but you know how you feel when 'Abbey Road' is coming to a close? Well, this one doesn't necessarily sound like that, but it surely feels like that. 'Speaking in Tongues' is one of a kind. It's worth a real listen, especially for the thoughtful listener."

"Here is a collection of great songs - performed masterfully - that takes its place next to the truly great albums of all time. It is striking in its perfection. The cd raises the bar for what makes a great album: beautifully constructed songs; haunting melodies; striking lyrics and imagery; and hot guitars, horns and vocals throughout. From the very first listen, I was struck by its power and presence. (It reminded me of the first time I heard Steely Dan's 'Aja'.) Now, as I listen to each song, I think, 'This is my favorite' - until the next one begins. Clean out the garage; this cd takes its place along side the best of all time!"

"It just keeps getting better. I know Bill and Rob have been writing and performing for awhile, but the growth they are demonstrating with each new CD is astonishing. 'Speaking in Tongues' definitely hits all the corners! The melodies are real good - filled with great hook lines. And the musicianship is really outstanding. What's better is that there is a crisp sparseness to the arrangements that really let you hear how ingenious the instrumentation really is. You will probably be able to hear where some of their influence comes from. For me that really anchors the music and provides a familiarity that pulls me right in. There are a few songs on this CD that definitely get you tapping and singing along (e.g.. 'Glossolalia'). But there are are also a couple that send chills down my spine (e.g.. 'This Ageless Beauty'). And 'Everything Breaks' got me thinking. There is something in this CD for everyone. Get yours and see which songs YOU like. Desperate Measures is now on my short list of groups that I will buy before listening. They are just that consistently good."

"Although I have not quite had a direct experience of the ultimate nature of reality, I know enough to recognize a sweet taste of infinite bliss when it appears in the relative conventional world. An example of this is Desperate Measures, who have managed through sheer artistry to engage the creative process with a fresh, uncontrived vision. Speaking in Tongues is the result of their crazy wisdom expressions, and here for all to enjoy are music , lyrics, and performances that can truly bring deep realizations and toe-tapping fun together into the one field of awareness that we all share as the very basis of our being. I have no favorite songs from this awesome collection- they all speak to me and touch me differently, and yet, I feel as though the stillness of the unmanifest nature of reality is always present. Thank you Bill and Rob! This cd is important and very special........"

"Captivating! A virtual banquet of musical delicacies!!! Once again – each song can bring you to your knees and rock your world while encompassing every conceivable emotion with their lyrics and music! Voices that are true gifts in this Demon Haunted World! ... I have fallen again under the spell of Desperate Measures ... Godspeed, guys!!! You are really, really great!!! Thank you!"

"The Brothers Sunkel have hit their stride with the release of Speaking In Tongues. From Bill's gritty, bare your soul vocals (reminiscent to this listener of David Clayton-Thomas) to Rob's romantic ballads, there is something for everyone on this CD. The arrangements are sophisticated and the vocal harmonies flawless. If you liked Tal Bachman's She's So High, you will love Fallen, a totally beautiful ballad. You Really Opened My Eyes is a jazz-tinged number with a terrific funk bass solo. This Ageless Beauty is a quiet masterpiece and Everything Breaks will bring you to your knees with its brutal honesty. If lyrics matter to you, if musicianship matters to you, if music matters to you, order your copy of Speaking In Tongues today!"

"Another winner from Desperate Measures!!! This has to be the best one yet; third time's a charm fellas!! The music, the melodies, the harmonies are stellar! This is one of my desert island disks for sure!!! I highly recommend it."

"This CD is amazing. I haven't gotten all the way through because I keep going back to listen to things again. I don't want to say you sound like things I've heard before, but your sound has a familiarity that makes it…comfortable, but an originality that makes it completely refreshing. It's got this gritty edge, where I keep waiting for a crack, or a tear, or a seam in the sound, but it never comes. Razor sharp. I dig it completely. The sound aside, the writing is amazingly precise."

"WOW. No kidding. Wow. This stuff is great. Not sure what to say without sounding like I'm putting down your prior stuff - if you know what I mean. It really stands apart in a way that makes me wonder where some of the influences came from. I mean, yeah, I can hear the Steely Dan influences and such but the way they are manifested show a departure from all prior stuff. At least the stuff I've heard. Well whatever the approach, you really have something here. Even the use of horns seems like a departure for you guys which adds to the wow factor."

"I have listened to it quite a few times and probably know at least half the lyrics of each song. This is absolutely the best stuff you guys have done. Right now, I’m listening to 'Everything Breaks' a lot because the lyrics strike a chord with me."