Superb understated prog masterpiece
(Would definitely have achieved a five-Cookie rating had this been a full album: as it is I have to subtract half a Cookie for the fact that it's only three tracks...)
Artiste: Also Eden
Nationality: British (English)
Album: Differences as light
Year: 2010
Label: Self released
Genre: Progressive Rock
Tracks
Seeing red
Oud en nieuw
Reality cheque
(i) Fool's gold
(ii) Dead reckoning
(iii)Rainbow's end
Chronological position: Third release, two albums before this
Familiarity: One track on a giveaway CD.
Interesting Factoid: Vocalist Rich Harding's first band was called Dick Hardon and the Erections! I kid you not!
Impression: Loved this from the moment I heard it
Best track(s): Well, there are only three, but I'll go for
Seeing red as my favourite, though the other two are also great.
Worst track(s): See above.
Intention: Check out and review the rest of their albums
Comments: Okay, so strictly speaking this is not an album but an EP, and it only has three tracks on it, but even at that, they total just over twenty-four minutes. Now that's not bad at all for an EP. Not to mention that the quality of this music is so high that in honesty, you'll probably get more out of these three tracks than you will from many a full album. It really is that good.
Add to that the fact that their vocalist, Rich Harding, was in a nearly-fatal motorbike accident and actually recorded some songs from his hospital bed(!) in 2010, and you can see how serious this band are about their music. There's absolutely nothing bad to say about any of the three tracks, though there is quite a difference between the opening mid-paced
Seeing red, the much slower, laidback, almost pastoral
Oud en nieuw, (which I'm going to take a total guess is Welsh for “old and new”, though I could be completely wrong) and the epic closer,
Reality cheque, with its differing time signatures, three movements and harder, rockier parts.
It's the best of Marillion/Genesis/Rush/Mostly Autumn/Arena/Porcupine Tree/Any prog band you know: excellent guitars with sublime keyboard passages, and Harding's voice is smooth, warm, rich (sorry!) and friendly; the kind of tone that makes it seem like he's singing directly and exclusively to you. If I had to choose a single word to describe Also Eden's music it would be lush. I'm now off to listen to the rest of their albums; expect full reviews in the main journal soon.
Eh, that's assuming I can stop listening to this album. EP. Whatever. I've listened to it I reckon about ten times in the last three days. And I'm going to stop listening …. NOW! Well, maybe one more listen...
