The press release doesn't reflect the music, which was a good thing to me.  

Most importantly, the music is distant from a typical soundtrack to a stage production, and retains the introspective aura of McKinley's former releases "Goner" and "Others".   The instrumentation is definitely more theatrical in its diversity, perhaps due to the presence of strings and woodwinds.  Even then, the arrangement is subtle, personal, and intimate -- certainly not Orchestral or Broadway, and never a hint of Billboard Top 40 String Section Embellishment.  

Content-wise, this is a fine concept album about childhood that never gets childish:  no entanglement with adolescent angst nor a scriptwriter's nostagia for a juvenile utopia here.  "Gracie And The Atom" is extremely intelligent music, full of finely crafted songs, excellent musicianship, and stunning vocal delivery throughout.
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I've got this disc in my car right now, on nonstop repeat.  Love it.  I'm no math geek, but I still can't get "Beautiful Math Waltz" out of my head, nor the image of dancing electrons pulling a sleepy Gracie from her bed - think "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy", with less sweets, and more molecular structures. (I know, the song says electrons, but I *think* molecules.)  That's how evocative the song is. There is a sense of confusion, and ultimately hope that permeates throughout.  It's the perfect soundtrack, because even though I haven't seen the play, I have an idea of what I think it could look like. I only hope I get a chance to see the real thing live (2010 @ the Artist's Repertory Theatre!)  I definitely recommend this disc.
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