We don't have many bands like this in the UK. Alternative rock here is still suffering under the weight of brit-pop and brit-rock sounds, and for anything more "alternative" you have to turn to the upsurge of metal bands in the underground. With this album we get passionate vocals, interesting guitar lines, and lots of distortion -- I'm told they call it emo.
Lyrically and musically this album has a dark feel, but struggles are accompanied by hope ("all the while there's a symphony on the music box/ as I sit behind the keys of my player piano I cry/and in a while face a man behind a child/and suddenly it hits me you're with me/I care" from "Player Piano"). I can't make up my mind as to which track is my favourite, but "The Flight of Peter Pan" sticks with me for its many meanings hidden within (J. M. Barrie fans might take exception of course), and I enjoyed the more laidback but still passionate "Player Piano" (quoted above).
For me, this album was a refreshing change, and I look forward to hearing more from the band.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Puddlegum 1998Reviewed by Kevin FlickIt would probably be difficult to capture Dear Ephesus' sound in the studio. The reason being that this band draws immensley from emotions. It's obvious that they play what they feel and feel what they play. Dear Ephesus is not a band for mmm boppers. Aaron works with a commanding vocabulary, consisting of words such as: tranquil, sackcloth, posthumous, wanton, and ingrato. "Save me, I have…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Josh SpencerI had no idea what to expect with this disc, and as the sloppy distortion of the first track filled my headphones my hopes dropped. "Great," I thought, "another talentless 'alternative' band that thinks just because it knows a few chords...." But oh, how quickly was I proved wrong! Strains of melody crept in and then took over, mellow clean-tone guitars sang in sweet contrast to more aggro rhythm…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Shari LloydAaron Weiderspahn says that, "Everything I write is allegorical or metaphorical. There is always a message of salvation there, but you have to think about it to see it." The Consolation of Pianissimo will give you plenty of food for thought in the smooth moments between the distorted guitars. This album, like most emo, is characterized by more varied or complicated instrumentation than normal…Similar sounding releases
1997Puller / Roadside MonumentPuller/Roadside Monument
2004The Felix CulpaCommitment
2004The GhostThis Pen Is A Weapon
2002The BlamedGive Us Barabbas
2003Cat on FormStructure and Fear
2002RescueVolume Plus Volume
