Detailed Reviews [Edison's Children - 2015 - "Somewhere Between Here and There"]

Prolusion. English band EDISON'S CHILDREN is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Pete Trewavas, with Eric Blackwood as the only other permanent member. This project has been in development since 2006, and so far three studio albums have surfaced from this collaboration. "Somewhere Between Here and There" is the most recent of these, and was released in 2015.

Analysis. Edison's Children is a band that first and foremost will pique the interest of progressive rock fans of the kind that admire the likes of Pink Floyd and other purveyors of the style that focus on accessible, melodic moods and atmosphere with a subtly dark undercurrent as a recurring trait. Floydian is the word I often use to describe such ventures, and this is very much the case on this production as well. That being said, there is a bit more to this album than just that. For starters this isn't really an album experience as such, as this production appears to be more a collection of loose ends from here and there, which has been expanded by the inclusion of various cases of alternative mixes of material previously released. A grand total of seven songs are, if I have understood this correctly, previously unreleased. Those songs clock in at around 30 minutes, while the remaining more than 40 minutes can be found on the band's earlier CDs. In different versions, but still. For existing fans this will most likely impact any decision as to whether this albums is worth consider getting or not. Due to the nature of this album, the material is kind of eclectic. Gentler, folk and even classical oriented material sits side by side with excursions of a more psychedelic nature, and there's also one case here of a song that in my view has something of a country flavor to it, albeit as explored within a Floydian context. By and large I do find that the remixed material is rather more alluring than the new songs however. The Floydian aspects are rather more in focus on these songs, and I do find this band to be all the more compelling when they explore their talents within the confines of those compositions: Where acoustic guitars are combined with darker toned but subtle guitar riffs, the rhythms are steady but unobtrusive and the layered keyboards creates undercurrents and overlays in the manner any fan of late 70's Pink Floyd will recognize. Edison's Children use those subtly contrasting elements to create gently haunting atmospheres with a strong overall appeal in a clever and efficient manner, creating material that I'd describe as having something of an autumn or night time feel to them. But as so much of the material is already out on previous albums, and the new material isn't really as convincing as the old as I experience this production, I do not really see this album as one vital in the annals of this band.

Conclusion. "Somewhere Between Here and There" comes across as a curious third album from this band. One with just a bit more new material than what one traditionally would release as an EP, expanded to a very full album length by including alternate mixes of older and, in my view, better quality material. An album first and foremost of interest to existing fans as I regard it, although a case may be had for recommending this CD to those interested but still not familiar with the band. Besides this, those who tend to connect with music described as Floydian should find this CD to be compelling, in general.

Progmessor: September 24th, 2017
The Rating Room