Introducing the magnificent and Exceptional Edward
Album cover for Lost at Sea by Exceptional Edward
Running a music blog isn’t all that I had hoped it would be when I first started Silent Sound Waves; it’s ten times better than I ever thought it would be! The most immediate perk is that bands and promoters send us music to listen to because they want us to write about it. Most of the time the music doesn’t match the type of music we write about, but that just makes it all the more pleasing when I receive emails such as the one I got from Jason Turner, one of the founding halves of Ohio based indie pop/rockers known as Exceptional Edward.
Citing Coldplay, U2, Oasis and Radiohead as their most important influences, it comes as no surprise that the tunes these guys put together are filled with pleasant melodies and traditional arrangements that should sound well in every set of ears. That being said, I think it is safe to say that their biggest influence, at least judging by their sound, has been Death Cab for Cutie, the grandfathers of the genre. Then again, it could just be the striking similarity between Jason Turner, Edward’s lead vocalist, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab’s voice, which in itself speaks volumes about what a capacity this up and coming band really is.
It was sometime back in 2006 that the mentioned Turner and Brian Gillis, the band’s drummer, met at a local music and, by some odd sequence of events that followed, got together to form the band that would be known as Exceptional Edward. Realizing that they needed a full band in order to maxmize their potential, the duo added to Garth Heasley on bass and then eventually Dan Gillis as lead guitarist, and the lineup was complete.
Exceptional Edward at one of many live performances
By the end of the year the hardworking group had put together their first release, The Exceptional EP, and it apparently became a hit in the local scene, and set the stage for what was to come. In April of 2008 Exceptional Edward finally released their first full-length, titled Lost At Sea, and it was this record which caught my attention. It’s full of solid tracks from the opener, Change My Mind, which is a perfectly crafted indie-radio-pop tune, via the middle-section The Sea Captain, a more serious and introspective approach, to Home at the ending, which is a strong and melodiously powerful ballad.
It wasn’t without reason why The Daily Vault Music Reviews rewarded Lost at Sea with the title “Best Indie Album” of 2008: It really was at the very least one of the best among all the ones I got a chance to listen to. And with prospects of not only new songs, but a new entire full-length coming this year, I suggest you jump right over to their MySpace profile and give them a listen. It should take you no more than 60 seconds before you realize just how good this is, and by then it is about time you do yourself a favour and purchase their album, because this is one of those bands if that if you start paying attention to the now, you’ll get bragging rights when the day comes that all of your friends are talking about them as well.
You can purchase Lost at Sea as a CD from CD Baby, or digitally from iTunes.
