Sophisticated and complex musically, yet lyrically direct and accessible, new Slanted Records artist After Edmund is poised to take the Christian music scene by storm. Kicking off their debut album with the swirling chords of "Clouds" and the frenetic, driving "Thank God", After Edmund tackles themes of a desperate desire to feel God's presence, being honest in the midst of pain and losing everything to truly find Christ. Producer Scotty Wilbanks (DecembeRadio, Third Day) adeptly captures the crackling energy of the band's powerful, kick-out-the-slats live shows.
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Top 10 Release Of 2008| Posted December 16, 2008
Have you ever met someone packed with so much talent that it frustrates you to the core? Get ready to pull your hair out. After many delays, the much hyped debut by After Edmund finally made it to my desk, but it wasn?t until I saw the band perform a few songs live at a showcase in Nashville that everything clicked for me. I don?t like saying that because it points to a potential weakness in the translations from stage to recording, but I can?t talk about this release without noting my experience.
As I watched this group of five musicians (all classically trained who met amidst college music classes), switch instruments, vocals and stage positions multiple times throughout the performance, I couldn?t help but me mesmerized. Forget that the music was a barrage of well crafted layers, here was something new that I hadn?t seen before. More than a stage trick, After Edmund quickly showed me that this was a group prepared to make the best music they could collectively. As their foundation, everything else would follow.
Their debut is one of the most entertaining albums I?ve heard in a long time, and I can happily attest that I was not hypnotized by a glossy performance. Their album has made it to multiple year end ?best of? lists and was recently nominated for a GRAMMY award.
If there?s one album on this list that you may have missed in the shuffle, I?m guessing this is it. Do yourself a favor and say ?Hello? to After Edmund.
Excellent Debut Album, Top 10 of 2008!| Posted February 21, 2008
After Edmund is a great example of the new wave of Christian rock bands that have come out in the last few years. Similar sound to MuteMath, The Fray and Snow Patrol on the mainstream side (all favorites of mine) and Leeland, Deas Vail and Ruth (my favorite new Christian bands). "Thank God" kicks it off, and I find "Fighting For Your Heart" "Come and Rain Down" and "Like A Dream" to be the other highlights. Excellent debut album and top 10 of 2008 in my opinion!
Hello After Edmund| Posted September 04, 2008
Sophisticated, complex, lyrically direct and accessible; these are a couple of the words used to describe the debut album from After Edmund, Hello, and for the most part that is true. This alternative album has a unique sound and doesn’t play around with the lyrics, as their songs are straight to the point.
No one in the Christian music world is going to accuse After Edmund for using unoriginal music, because it’s clear from the very first song that this band has a differ sound. The first song “thank God” is a fast paced rock song, which is simply incredible, another thing about it is it almost sounds like it’s being done live, which only adds to the effect.
The song “Fighting for a hear (let go)” is a good rock song that does not have a traditional sound. The album finally slows down at “everyone”, which really borders on light rock, it also sounds similar to Disciple. The album continues the slow pace on “like a dream”, which sounds similar to the last song. The instrumental “darkest room” is not what it could have been because it’s so short. “Come and rain” is a smooth rock song that drags on a bit at the end” and as does “tears” which does have a awesome intro and chorus.
“Stealing away” starts soft but speeds up before the song ends, its not that impressive though, “go oboe” is another instrumental song and is a nice switch from the rock. A bizarre sounding song is “clouds” which is the title track of the album, it is pretty impressive. The album ends with “to see you leave” which is an upbeat rock song which is a little repetitive.
There is nothing complex about After Edmunds’s lyrics, as they are pretty straight forward, but they are also somewhat repetitive. Turning to God in troubled times is a common theme on Hello, especially on “thank God”, “clouds”, and “stealing away” not like that it’s a bad thing. “Everyone” has good lyrics:’ you know we can't make it on our own’. So the messages are fine, unless you want a broader range of lyrics.
Hello is really an impressive debut with its good music; the word ‘complex’ definitely applies to this bands music. It sounds a little disjoined in places but is really worth checking out. Sinful men who need God is a great topic, but let’s see if After Edmund can give us something after their first album.
After Edmund [Hello]| Posted September 24, 2008
[Main Review]
After Edmund, the new 5-piece rock quintet from La Grange, Georgia brings us the long awaited debut, ‘Hello’, from the Spring Hill music-based Slanted Records. I know, when you think Slanted Records you probably think of DecembeRadio off the bat. Well, now along with their Blacksburg, VA based band mates, After Edmund steps out onto the music scene with a new and fresh sounding debut record.
The band consists of Mitch Parks on lead vocals, Yates on keys, Matt McFadden on bass guitar, Adam Stanley on drums and Ben Hosey on the guitar. The name After Edmund comes from a familiar source. It’s actually named after the Edmund character in C.S. Lewis’ best-selling book series The Chronicles of Narnia. The band has toured relentlessly since its humble beginnings back in 2001. Well, let’s move onto the record…
The album’s first track, “Thank God” has an interesting concept to it with very thought-provoking lyrics. The beginning of the song opens up with a catchy, Marvel comic movie style techno sound. My first thought was, this is going to be good! In a sense, we often lose track of the things that we should be focusing our attention and lives on. The things of God. The song almost challenges you to forget everything that’s not of God and get lost in His plans for you. The first part of the chorus really says it all, “Thank God I lost all my hope / In everything that isn’t You / And I’ve come much too far / I’ll never turn my back on You”.
The second track, “Fighting for Your Heart (Let It Go)”; in my opinion talks of the one thing that truly sets us free. Love. God’s love to be exact (1 John 4:16). Has someone every broken your heart? How about forgotten about your needs? Made you feel unloved? Well the Bible mentions in several passages that God is love. Allowing that love to consume you and knowing and having the faith to know that God’s love can drown out anything you can be going through. Love is essentially fighting for your heart to be free, of hurt, of anger and of anything that holds you back.
“Like A Dream” has got to be one of my favorite tracks on the album. I really liked both the message of the song and the music as well. They flowed well together. “Like a dream coming true / I believe in You / Don’t let me go / I’m hanging on to You” is the words of the chorus that really spoke to me. Call it simple wording, but these are the kind of things that I like to hear in the music, and the kind of things that keep me grounded, knowing that God has hold of us and isn’t letting us go (John 10:28).
The sixth track, “Come and Rain Down” points out one of the characteristics of Jesus, that He’s our strength. One verse which says “If you’re too weak to move / He’s your strength” refers to one of my favorite scriptures and life verse, found in Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. We can all admit that we can definitely use more of Jesus in our lives. Let His presence, love, mercy and strength rain down us. This is actually part of a prayer I pray a lot in my own life. I often pray and say, “Lord Jesus, let your love, mercy, patience and strength rain down on my life. Be an even bigger presence in my life then ever before. I want people to see Jesus in me”. I admit, I can never get enough of Christ in my life!
The lyrics of “Stealing Away” are a constant reminder to me that I was definitely in need of a Savior, to cleanse my life of my sin. When Jesus died on the cross, He ‘stole’ then sin of my life and bore it upon His own body, giving me hope and a future. “Tell me who’s to blame for the sin on my lips / I can’t repair the stains that I tried so hard to fix / But You wipe away the stains / And in love You called my name / Now I’m running back to You” We can’t save ourselves. Only God can ‘steal away’ the sin in our life. God loved us (John 3:16) enough to offer those who believed in Him the removal of our sin and stains left by in our lives, through His Son’s sacrifice on Calvary. Repent. Ask for forgiveness. Turn Away. Be saved.
Okay, now comes the most exciting part of the album (in my opinion)! The ninth track’s title, “Go Oboe” kind of throws you off. At first glance, I thought maybe the song would have an oboe solo in it, but it was nothing more then a catchy name to a very cool instrumental track. It reminded me of something out of a Danny Elfman (Batman & Tim Burton movies) soundtrack, with beautiful piano and string harmonies. What starts out as a classical but dark sounding groove turns into a more progressive beat, until it fades into another ‘techno’ sounding bit with the echoes of a voice saying “Hello”, before finally bursting into my favorite track of the album, “Clouds”.
The song in itself has a stellar intro with some hard rock guitars before jumping into the bass-laden verses. The song got me thinking of a devotional I did recently with my family on the story of Noah. Noah lived in a wicked, pervasively violent world before the Lord stepped in and put a stop to it. You can compare the time of Noah to this time we live in now. Violent. Disrespectful to God, and just plain wicked. I know this doesn’t really have to do with the song that much, but as I mentioned, it got me thinking. Especially when I heard the first verse, “The clouds are coming in again / This always happens to me / And I am caught between / I’m caught between Your love / And this world that’s against me”. It’s similar with us. As believers, we’re caught in between the world and God, just as Noah was some 5,000 years ago. But we’re constantly reminded each and every day of God’s promises toward us each and everyday and that He has not left us nor forsaken us (Hebrews 3:5). The chorus of the song serves as a reminder, “I know that You’re not that far away / Hello, hello / I’m not alone / You make daylight from grey / Hello, hello /You’re always lifting me above the clouds”.
I guess if anything I was surprised at After Edmund’s debut release. ‘Hello’ treads out like an album put forth by music veterans. Except there’s one thing to consider here. This album was written and recorded by ‘newbies’. It just goes to show you that the true talent isn’t always in the places where you would expect.
This album was supposed to come out in the summer of 2007, but with its thought provoking message, re-energizing lyrics or hope, security and love, it’s sure to be a fan favorite soon enough!
CLOSING THOUGHTS
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After Edmund’s debut release, ‘Hello’ is absolutely amazing! It’s got great message with some down-right catchy music that will keep you not entertained for an hour, but minister and uplift you in a way that few projects have been able to do lately.
Rating: 9.3 out of 10 (93%, A-)
Review written by: Jay Heilman
(jay.heilman@christianmusicreview.org)
Review can also be found at:
http://www.christianmusicreview.org/afteredmund_hello.html
This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org. Click here to visit ChristianMusicReview.org today!
After Edmund is a five piece band that creates a distinctive but accessible sound by blending and fusing the various backgrounds and experiences of its band members. While influences from alternative, modern and indie rock are easily identifiable, the band also recognizes and embraces their classical, jazz, progressive and classic rock influences to fashion intelligent, worshipful and thought provoking music.
From the blazingly fast, guitar and percussion driven opener "Thank God" through to the breathy, acoustic closer "To See You Leave," Hello moves the listener through an emotional sonic soundscape. Producer Scotty Wilbanks (Third Day, Echoing Angels, DecembeRadio) ably facilitates the melding of the five band members' musical talents and abilities in such a way that each instrument is apparent without one dominating or subduing the other. The vocals of Hello are fantastic, with Mitch Parks showing the ability to deliver smart, emotion-laced lyrics positioned in a variety of musical tempos.
It is easy to see that After Edmund regards music as an art form to be intelligently crafted and entertainingly presented to the listener. Hello is a musical gem that enthusiastically greets the listener, holds their attention, and avoids accosting them with the predictable. Fans of mould-breaking musicians alá Mute Math, The Police, Pink Floyd, Hundred Year Storm and Red Umbrella should enthusiastically welcome this band into their musical libraries without hesitation.
After Edmund...Hello| Posted April 29, 2009
Pop/rock Georgian quintet After Edmund is yet another emerging act to be listed on the roster of artists for Slanted Records. Although they are not a "familiar" band at the moment, they hope to become a fresh face in today's music industry. Hello serves as the band's national debut, and a friendly introduction to music listeners far and wide.
The rock 'n' roll opener "Thank God" speaks of how we should be thankful that we have a hope in our God as well as a place of safety within His arms. Musically, it has bits of techno flavorings sprinkled throughout and is arguably the album's strongest track. "Fighting For You (Let It Go)" adds a Jonezetta-esque feel to the record while lyrically stating how we need to let go of our past and surrender our hearts to God's freeing love, whereas the guitar-laden and bass-driven riffs of "Everyone" evoke an encouraging letter of hope to the brokenhearted. The Jackson Waters-esque mood of "Like A Dream" depicts the saving grace and healing mercy that our Creator offers us and how His amazing love can seem almost unfathomable.
"Come and Rain Down," a song that has it all: swirling guitar hooks, heart-pounding drum beats, and a plea for rescue directed to Jesus to deliver us from the sense of worthlessness, depression, and abandonment that we can feel from time to time. The upbeat tempo of "Tears" reveals that we can't hide behind our tears because they unmask our brokeness and our search for the antidote. "Stealing Away" possesses a Keane feel and unveils the fact that we need God's forgiveness to erase all the harbored sin within our lives, while also serving as a plea to God to captivate every part of us.
"Clouds" is a worshipful rock anthem illustrating the spirit of ectstasy we feel when we are close to God, while the pop/rock tune "It's Alright" tells us that even if there is no tomorrow, everything will be okay because of the certainty we have of knowing that our God is living and dwelling inside of us. The finale of "To See You Leave" is an organ-driven acoustic ballad written as a sad goodbye to a dearly loved one, closing the record in an appropriate manner.
You may think this collection of music resembles a whole slew of other artists and bands, and you are correct. And yet, After Edmund has managed to incorporate their own distinct flavor to their particular genre, which most likely will grab the attention of their listeners. I will also say that their debut Hello seems to say that they are moving in the right direction
Awesome| Posted November 19, 2008
I love the sound of this entire CD. I bought it for my Fiance' but I listen to it all of the time! Hello is such a good song! I saw them in concert and they are crazy!!! They are very good performers, and very good guys!!!
Something New| Posted August 13, 2008
After Edmund provides a different style for every track. With a few instrumentals like "Go Oboe, Go!" they show the are talented on classical instruments as well. While "Thank God" shows they have an hear for techno like music. "Clouds" and " Fighting for Your Heart" are definitely the standout tracks but the rest are in close competition.
Hello!| Posted June 12, 2008
This cd is beautiful, I can't think of any other way to describe it! Compelling direct lyrics along with very good music makes it a great buy. A great mix is found on this cd and almost anyone would probably enjoy listening to it.
oboe| Posted May 29, 2008
You know that a band has a rather unique sound when one of their songs is titled Go Oboe! But while after edmund is musically complex, their lyrics are very direct. A nice change from the repetitive sound of many christian rock bands.
Great| Posted May 19, 2008
This is a great album. There is such a wide variety of sounds that everyone would like it. The best song on this album is definitely "Thank God." After Edmund is soon to be one of the top bands on the national music scene.
It sounds great| Posted April 08, 2008
The first time you hear this album it sounds like their seventh but it is After Edmund's first. They have a great pop sound with great melodies. My personal favorite is 'Fighting For Your Heart'. It hits the hardest to me. They make another statement with 'Everyone' and 'Like A Dream'.
For their first album, they have a great sound. I hope for more albums out of this band!
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