It's the keyboard tones!
Seriously - the music is well-written, all the musicians including James are on fire, mixing and production are great (save for awkward transition cuts in Voices and Space-Dye Vest). But you know what? Kevin's choice of tones for the keyboard parts are just awful. Here's a couple examples that come to mind:
- the wobbly strings in Caught In A Web
- the weak, thin strings in Scarred's outro
- the whiny synth sound in Lie's chorus
- the sustenance-lacking grand piano in Space-Dye Vest
But they're all over the place. Honestly, it's Awake's version of the triggered snare. Other than that, Awake is pretty darn good! But (and nothing to say of his present talent) Kevin just had an awful ear in 1993.