Edison Glass– Time is Fiction (www.credentialrecordings.com)
It seems easier and easier to write off a
band as “emo” and wash your hands
of it. The precedent of the genre offers little
help, as band after emotional band churn out
the same thing: emotional lyrics, accompanied
by those whiny vocals (maybe some screams
for good measure).
Edison Glass is totally an emo band. And
Edison Glass is totally not an emo band.
Confused? It’s not as Earth-shattering
as it sounds. In the “emo” corner
of the ring, we get the usual self-loathing
lyrics and quasi-whining vocals. Subject matters
covered basically cover the usual emo fodder:
girls, and a thousand metaphors as to why
they suck. However, they manage to come at
it from a different angle, taking a slightly
more optimistic view of relationships and
such. However, lines like “i want to
be more than lonely” do sneak up every
now and then.
The vocals on their album Time is Fiction
themselves stand out, an interesting mix of
different vocalists. If you can, picture a
vocal that is a combination of the lead singers
from Rush, Supertramp, The Format and Taking
Back Sunday. Now take that, cut it in half
and make one higher in pitch. Have the two
parts sing complementary and contradictory
harmonies, and you have the vocals from the
album. It’s amazing, although the whining
and yelping that comes up every now and then
is a bit of a misstep in my opinion.
In the other corner, the “non-emo”
aspects shine, almost eclipsing the emo sentiments.
The guitar work is complex and layered, managing
to come off as jangly and precise at the same
time. The drumming rivals the best in indie,
taking a sort of subdued Interpol style and
making it more danceable. Essentially, if
you choose not to listen to what they’re
singing about, you’ll have a moderately
hard, guitar-driven indie rock outfit with
some airy vocals flying around.
Putting the emo and non-emo aspects together,
you’re hit with one knockout of a contradiction
you can rock your head to and cry yourself
to sleep with. It’s really a win-win
situation, and it gives me at least a little
hope that the emotional scene will evolve
into something better before it completely
dies away. – Zach Huff
CD Reviews 
