Jamie Rowe was formerly a member of Guardian, a Christian hard-rock/metal group that achieved some prominence in the early '90s. I always lumped Guardian in with all of those other pretentious axe-slingers that put more emphasis on singing cheesy lyrics and getting their hair as big as possible than actually making relevant music. That stereotype, as fair or unfair as it may be, didn't really prepare me for listening to The Beautiful EP.
Although there's a bit of a hard emphasis on the music, mainly in Rowe's vocals, the music is more in the vein of modern rock. It even veers off into heavy power pop in places. The album throws in some nice surprises, such as the processed solo in "Do You Know" or its swirling opener, "Let It Go." "Amy (demo)" tries to go for a pop-punk feel, and succeeds, albeit in a "by the numbers" sort of way.
The EP is solid, though it feels overly dramatic and dated, even though it was only released in 1998. This sounds more like something that would've appealed to my high school youth group, or avid viewers of VH-1.
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #82Reviewed by A Girl Called GordonFollow Rowe as he takes you on a journey of a 5 song project of his favorite styles. Touching on the pop of his youth with "Let it Go," I found myself bouncing and recalling those joyous days in middle school! The Gary Newman-esque guitars are something I have been missing. "Do You Know" is a simple love song for those who need a pick-up from God. Rowe states in the liner notes that he wrote…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerGuardian fans, rejoice! Jamie Rowe, frontman for the now-defunct hard rock band, has released a solo EP on Massive Groove, with the promise of a full-length album early next year. Don't be expecting Guardian-esque driving music, however - the Beautiful E.P. is pure power pop, complete with fuzz guitars and catchy melodies. Rowe's voice is certainly good enough to handle the genre, and he also…
