Pat Metheny Unity Group: Kin -- WTF?

I'm a long time Pat Metheny fan, and spotted the new Unity group recording in a store yesterday, so I bought it. I've never been disappointed with anything he's recorded. I made it through two 2 listening sessions before deciding this one is getting traded in immediately.

The musicianship is stellar, but I cannot figure out why Antonio Sanchez's huge cymbal crashes are hit so often or why they were engineered so loudly into the mix. It's so distracting and annoying...on every single song, that I found myself wishing for his kit to be taken away. It's as if Zildjian financed the studio time in exhange for their 22" crash to be put front and center.

If you're a PMG fan, be sure to try this one before you buy. If you like the sound of two garbage can lids being slammed together, this may be your album.