Edward Rogers - Glass Marbles (2016)

You absolutely have to love when an artist like Edward Rogers delivers a new album because he gives you a complete package thoughtful, image-laden lyrics, almost always thematically unified, melody and always a full complement of songs. And on Glass Marbles, his sixth solo album, no less than eighteen songs right there, more than your money’s worth. So this splendid gathering of material opens with the sprightly, upbeat “The World Of Mystery”, which is a perfect way to start the program it shouldn’t go unnoticed that Mr. Rogers takes on the younger Dylan in a very clever and enjoyable way; “Denmark Street Forgotten” has a very “vintage” sound, production-wise, which adds to the overall feel to the song (dark, slighly brooding) and has an on-the-one guitar solo and “Jumbo Sale”‘s wash of reverb and slightly-My Bloody Valentine texture helps the vocals shine brighter as the band builds up (but never explodes) and listen for that very neo-psychedelic middle colorful and vivid.

“My Lady Blue” goes in a gentle, pastoral direction with quiet acoustic guitar, vibrato guitar strokes and on-point flute embellishments; “Broken Wishes On Display” is straightforward acoustic-pop and could be a radio-directed track; “Looking For Stone Angels” is the kind of song R.E.M. used to be able to induce goosebumps from (and that feeling returns here) sweet harmonies, catchy and delicious guitars interweaving perfect power pop and “Stars In Your Eyes” is lush, theatrical, dramatic and minimal with voice and piano.

So it stands to reason that by some of the examples I’ve described above, there is a LOT for you marvel in and I’ve only given you eight out of eighteen. So let’s make this easy: buy a copy of Glass Marbles, sit down and slowly devour and digest it. You’ll be filled and satisfied afterward – that’s not a smart-assed statement, it’s a prediction of outcome.

TRACKLIST

01. The World of Mystery
02. Denmark Street Forgotten
03. Welcome to My Monday Morning
04. The Letter
05. Jumbo Sale
06. Bright Star
07. My Lady Blue
08. Olde House on the Hill
09. Broken Wishes on Display
10. Blackpool Nights
11. I'm Your Everyday Man
12. Fade Away
13. Seconds into Minutes
14. Looking for Stone Angels
15. Just Like That It Came and Went
16. Burn and Play
17. Stars in Your Eyes
18. Glass Marbles