You absolutely have to love when an artist like Edward Rogers delivers a new album because he gives you a complete package – thoughtful, image-laden lyrics, almost always thematically unified, melody and always a full complement of songs. And on Glass Marbles, his sixth solo album, no less than eighteen songs – right there, more than your money’s worth.
So this splendid gathering of material opens with the sprightly, upbeat “The World Of Mystery”, which is a perfect way to start the program – it shouldn’t go unnoticed that Mr. Rogers takes on the younger Dylan in a very clever and enjoyable way; “Denmark Street Forgotten” has a very “vintage” sound, production-wise, which adds to the overall feel to the song (dark, slighly brooding) and has an on-the-one guitar solo and “Jumbo Sale”‘s wash of reverb and slightly-My Bloody Valentine texture helps the vocals shine brighter as the band builds up (but never explodes) – and listen for that very neo-psychedelic middle – colorful and vivid.
“My Lady Blue” goes in a gentle, pastoral direction with quiet acoustic guitar, vibrato guitar strokes and on-point flute embellishments; “Broken Wishes On Display” is straightforward acoustic-pop and could be a radio-directed track; “Looking For Stone Angels” is the kind of song R.E.M. used to be able to induce goosebumps from (and that feeling returns here) – sweet harmonies, catchy and delicious guitars interweaving – perfect power pop and “Stars In Your Eyes” is lush, theatrical, dramatic and minimal with voice and piano.
So it stands to reason that by some of the examples I’ve described above, there is a LOT for you marvel in – and I’ve only given you eight out of eighteen. So let’s make this easy: buy a copy of Glass Marbles, sit down and slowly devour and digest it. You’ll be filled and satisfied afterward – that’s not a smart-assed statement, it’s a prediction of outcome.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Glass Marbles will be released on Friday, March 11th, 2016
http://www.edwardrogersmusic.com/
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