Russell Edmonds Band
Demo Disc
Egads my friends! What have we here? An unsigned band CD with (could it possibly be?) GOOD SOUND?!! Yes indeed, if there is one thing to be said about Russell Edmond’s Demo Disc (sounds like a TV show doesn’t it?) it’s that it has been extremely well mixed and recorded and all that jazz. The sound quality easily stands up next to the latest Oasis album and the second track in particular proves up to the Stereophonics’ standards, to the extent of sounding just like ‘Mr. Writer’ on various occasions.
Herein lies the main problem with Russell’s music. Despite the sweet, crisp guitars and smooth-sounding voice it really does offer nothing new at all. It’s like what Eddie Izzard says about how lots of different recycled things make up a fridge or a plane or another tin can. Edmonds’ music just sounds too much like what was happening 8 years ago to be relevant in today’s eclectic and vibrant musical context. In Britpop’s heyday this would have been at number 1 for sure, but would it exist if Britpop had not already been there and done that? I doubt it.
Despite all this I know there is a big market for Oasis / Beatles / Ocean Colour Scene nostalgia and this certainly qualifies as that. ‘Dressed as the Enemy’ is my personal favourite, mixing those same clichés with more current atmospheric touches such as haunting violin backing a la Decemberists that give Edmonds the extra dimension of interest that the other two tracks lack.
Once the immediate influences are exhausted Russell Edmonds has the potential to produce some really fantastic pop tunes. For now however, he seems to have settled for emulating his heroes.
Guest article from Matt S.
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