Short Reviews [Edison Suit - 2023 - "Persistence of Vision"]

Edison Suit is a project put together by multi-instrumentalists Mark Smith (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, mando guitar, dobro, bass, ebow) and Barry Wood (keyboards, bass, chapman stick, lap steel resonator, dobro, percussion). For this their third album they have also been joined by violinist Paul McIntyre and drummer Bret Wadams, although it should be noted that some tracks are performed by the core duo only, some with either Paul or Bret, with only 4 of the 12 featuring everybody. Both Mark and Barry have many other musical ventures which is probably why it has taken so long for this album to come about, given their debut was released in 1998 and the follow-up all the way back in 2006. One may have noticed from the list of instrumentation that Edison Suit are an instrumental act with no vocals, although the use of violin on some tracks does provide a voice to those. When it comes to describing their music, Mark and Barry say it lies at the intersection of electronic, prog, acoustic and experimental. I understand where they are coming from, although I personally think it is firmly crossover prog with some very nice melodic elements throughout – I do get where they are coming from when they say it is experimental, but the way they have brought everything together means it is always nicely commercial and easy to listen to as opposed to some of the very out there albums I get to hear. I do wish there were more dynamics, as there are times when it somewhat blends into each other, but there is no doubt that this is a very enjoyable album to play, and it does benefit from headphones as there is otherwise the risk it will fall away somewhat in the background. Playing it this way allows the listener to really get the best out of the multitude of layers the guys have put together, as it brings in nuances from different instruments without smothering the listener in a wet blanket of over production. While not fully essential, it is yet another strong release from Melodic Revolution Records.