Upon first hearing the wow and flutter of the atmospheric first track mesh with the urgently upbeat guitar barrage of "Looked For In The First Place," one is forced to realize this is a totally different Dear Ephesus. Taking on a more progressive sound with The Absent Sounds of Me, the band has chewed up and spit out the abundant impurities one may have heard on The Consolation of Pianissimo. Aaron Wiederspahn gives a much-improved vocal performance over the debut, but is still able to maintain the underlying elements of passion and intensity he has become known for. He's one of the more expressive performers in modern rock, taking on a poetic lyrical style akin to the likes of Jeremy Enigk (Sunny Day Real Estate) and Chris Simpson (Mineral, The Gloria Record). The diversity found on Absent Sounds makes the album sit squarely on the genre fence, defying labels and bordering several styles at one time. It is too cheerful to be emo, too pretty to be post-punk and too dynamic and intricate to be considered straight-up modern rock--yet it is all three of these, depending upon which song is playing. Each track can leave a different emotional taste in the listener's mouth; Dear Ephesus is clearly shooting for an innovative sound and, for the most part, is succeeding. There are several strong references to chart-toppers like the Foo Fighters and even Third Eye Blind, but with The Absent Sounds of Me, Dear Ephesus shows they have enough credibility to avoid being just one more mediocre derivative of a tired radio trend. It's blue-collar, tearstained music that proudly wears its heart on its sleeve.
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse Unsorted 1999Reviewed by James Yusef StewartMusically, little has changed with Dear Ephesus between their debut album release and this follow-up, The Absent Sounds Of Me. Their music is still somewhere on the border of emo. This band boasts interesting guitar lines, impassioned vocals, and regular moves from quiet to soft timed (slightly more subtly than in grunge). Yet, there is something imperceptible that sets them apart from bands like…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James StewartDear Ephesus' debut The Consolation of Pianissimo was released to mixed opinions. While there were plenty of people who enjoyed it, the album seemed to strike a bad note with many indie rock fans, who saw the band as passing themselves off falsely as "emo" or who simply disliked Aaron Weiderspahn's vocals. For me, this follow-up release is both a step forward and one backward. The band feel more…HM Magazine #74Reviewed by Doug Van PeltThere are a lot of great bands with new releases this Fall, and this one by Dear Ephesus may just well be the best. The band has crafted some great songs, which are bolstered by fine production. Shades of lo-fi guitars creep in, but they are complimented by a nice `n' wide low end. It's kind of hard to describe the sound on this record. "Looked For In The First Place" has a nice pop vibe to it,…Similar sounding releases
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