The Tea Party - The Edges of Twilight1995
EMI Music Canada/Chrysalis Records
1. Fire in the Head
2. The Bazaar
3. Correspondences
4. The Badger
5. Silence
6. Sister Awake
7. Turn the Lamp Down Low
8. Shadows on the Mountainside
9. Drawing Down the Moon
10. Inanna
11. Coming Home
12. Walk With Me
H. Unnamed Spoken Word Track
Okay, I originally wrote something thought-out and well-written for the first post introduction, talking about my friend and I and how we got into music and how our tastes vary, but then I thought, "hey, to hell with that." So instead, sit down, shut up, and read our blog.
ALBUM OVERVIEW
For our first album review, we decided to pick an album and artist we were both somewhat familiar with. The first thing you'll notice when you're listening to The Tea Party is that they don't sound like any other hard rock band you've heard before. No other band can combine elements from straight-up hard rock with hints of progressive and world music better than these guys can. If I had to describe their sound in one word, it would be "that word that describes something 'Arabian' or more generally Middle Eastern without being stereotypical about it." I have no idea what such a word might be, so I'm just going to call it "that sound" for the rest of this entry. Deal with it.
1. Fire in the Head
This album starts of very strongly. The beginning riff of this song is typical for The Tea Party; many of their songs start out with a simple acoustic melody. The other thing immediately noticeable here is their lead vocalist's lack of range. Though this may be a problem for other bands, TTP works it to their advantage; his sometimes atonal voice fits the mood set by the song well. Also typical for TTP is their use of slight rhythmic deviations. Often, TTP does not write entire songs in odd time signatures, but instead throws in or removes an extra beat in recurring places. Overall this song is a strong rocker, but the ending never sounds good to me. That is the only thing I find fault with on this otherwise excellent track.
2. The Bazaar
The second track on this album is also very strong. This one is more melodic than the previous track; their singer also gets more melody into his voice. I also love the introduction to this song. It leaves you little indication of where the rest of the piece is going and yet manages to mesh in with the main theme surprisingly well. I especially enjoy the reiteration of the introduction theme partway through the song. There isn't much to say about this track other than it's a generally solid rocker.
3. Correspondences
Following up two high-energy tracks is a more mellow ballad-style track. Unfortunately, this is the track where TTP's lead singer's limitations is thrust in the spotlight. The opening vocals aren't as strong as I'd like them to be, but the intended effect is still achieved somewhat. Other than that, this track is one of my absolute favorites. The part that draws me in is the first playing of the chorus' theme. Even though the chorus is written in the odd combination of 7+8, TTP makes it seem so natural that the casual listener scarcely notices. The guitar solo after the first chorus is also done really well. The second guitar solo's distortion can sometimes get in the way of the mood, but this is made up for by their vocalist's triumphant domination of the final chorus. All in all, this song leaves me feeling very emotional at the end, which is how any good piece should conclude. I daresay this is my favorite track on the whole album.
4. The Badger
Though a little repetitive, this acoustic instrumental is a nice deviation from TTP's usual sound. It may be a nice, relaxing listen, but it never really goes anywhere. This is something that occurs more than once on this album, but can usually be overlooked.
5. Silence
I really dislike this track. It starts off obnoxiously and the vocals just don't work. Though there are parts of this track that are okay, I just can't listen far enough into it to get to them. The first few seconds just turn me away.
6. Sister Awake
Fortunately, this piece more than makes up for the last piece's pure crap. The intro is one of the prime examples of "that sound" on this album. The tempo change around 1.5 minutes in is very effective, as is the instrumental section that follows it. After yet another tempo change, we arrive at the main theme, which makes good use of the instrument that butchered the last piece. This piece is the one that tells me TTP has had strong progressive influences. The tempo changes and odd meters are all used to the height of their effectiveness. A great piece.
7. Turn the Lamp Down Low
This piece starts out sounding like an oddly-formed blues rock piece. Unfortunately, it just doesn't grab my attention. The piece takes a while to get to its strong point, and even then it's merely mediocre. Not necessarily bad, but not very strong either.
8. Shadows on the Mountainside
Another acoustic interlude is welcomed after a few harder tracks. Though like its acoustic predecessor 'The Badger' it can be a tad repetitive, it still is a nice change of pace. It again provides a relaxing listen in contrast to the rest of the album, even if it doesn't really go anywhere or get moving.
9. Drawing Down the Moon
This sounds even more blues-rocky than 'Turn the Lamp Down Low,' and can become a little obnoxious because of it. However, I do respect that their guitarist taking more risks with his soloing in this piece, as opposed to close deviations from a constant theme in earlier pieces. Though there are sections of this song that I enjoy, the rest can be hard to listen to.
10. Inanna
This piece is very simplistic. While it's catchy and sounds good, it doesn't really add anything to the album we haven't heard before this point and doesn't go anywhere. This track winds up neutral.
11. Going Home
This piece makes up for the mediocrity rampant in the last few tracks. It starts out strongly and ends strongly. The chorus is powerful, and while the guitar solo could've been more innovative, it is strong as well. There is very little not to love about this song. Perhaps the second verse acoustically was a touch repetitive, but that is easily overlooked. If it weren't for 'Correspondences,' this would be my favorite track on the album.
12. Walk With Me
A piece has to be strong to support a "spacey" introduction. The section leading into the chorus sounds buggy to me, but it's not too noticeable. The chorus is indeed strong, but the piece in general isn't strong enough to be a closing track. 'Going Home' would've been better for this slot in the album.
H. Unnamed Spoken Word Track
As it's a hidden track, I won't judge the album on this track. That being said, it isn't engaging enough for a spoken word track. This piece left me with no impression, which is crucial for the spoken word in particular.
FINAL RATING: 3.5/5
While this album has some amazing tracks, the rest is too mediocre to make up for it. I would recommend it for anyone who wants something different to listen to and willing to take a risk.
BEST TRACKS:
Correspondences, Going Home, The Bazaar, Fire in the Head, Sister Awake
