ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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Ed Kowalczyk
ALIVE EDEL EARMUSIC 23.8.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
Some bands sit on your periphery, never quite hitting your senses, you know they’re there but something or someone always comes along to hog the limelight and you miss them. This can be said of my experience with Live! They sold bucket loads of albums during the famine that was grunge but I never gave them the attention they deserved. This lack of real exposure of Ed Kowalczyk previous band was a blessing as it didn’t taint my preconception of his first solo release ‘Alive’ but I doubt it would have mattered because it kicks straight out of the box with ‘Drive’. The opening track is as powerful as its melodic, showcasing an artist at ease with his ability and knows how to deliver. ‘The Great Beyond’ has a softer opening; my initial concern is that the album has peaked too early but the strength is all too evident as the track progresses with its hypnotic rhythms and powerful lyrics. ‘Stand’ on my iTunes description but is really ‘Grace’ , the opening single, has an initial feel of RHCP feel to it but quickly builds into a great example of Ed’s (given up trying to type his surname, sorry) ability. This error in the description just highlights the albums strength in that each track stands alone on its own merits and warrants its inclusion on a truly great album. This album is one of the few I found that has too much depth for one listen and doesn’t lose any of its appeal on repeat listen, in fact it’s subtle strength creeps up on you until it’s over all too soon and you’ll find yourself hitting repeat without a conscious thought. Personally, my track of the album is ‘Zion’ with its slightly distorted sound but it’s difficult to pick a winner within a crowd but this is a real winner for me on two accounts. I’ve found a real keeper in ‘Alive’ but it’s also given me the impetus to look into his back catalogue, Ed Kowalczyk is no longer on my periphery and this is a good , 16 years after the event but hey I never said I was up with current fashions. edkowalczyk.com |
