New Jersey
Edgar Allen & The Poettes
Independent
1998
5 tracks
The sound of Edgar Allen & The Poettes is part Alan Ginsberg, part Hollywood Argyles, part Meat Loaf, part Queen, part... well, the performance seems to include a bit of everything, a quirky, eclectic, cabaret of poetry and song. In a press release, the group describes itself as "Philadelphia's legendary poetry music theatre rock band." While I'm not sure just how "legendary" this band may be, the rest of this phrase certainly seems to describe what these artists are all about.
There are only five songs on this release, less than a half hour of music, yet that's enough to provide a fuller listening experience than many releases more than twice the length. While the writing here seems at times frivolous, there is some depth that pervades New Jersey and holds the listener's interest. Like the sound, the writing falls somewhere between schlock rock and Jim Steinman but leans more toward the latter.
With the possible exception of Edgar Allen, the members of this group have all adopted zany pseudonyms so that it's hard to tell who they might be in the real world. This is, of course, perfectly in keeping with the general presentation of this group less as individuals than as a theatrical troupe in role.
It's hard to get a handle on this group's style, instrumentally or vocally. Sometimes, it has the feel of musical theatre, varying between the sort of big European cabaret you might remember from the musical Cabaret, the rich rock sounds of The Rocky Horror Show, the dramatic rock of Queen and Meat Loaf, and snippets of other sounds. Sometimes it echoes the spoken comedy of sixties rock and roll groups like the Hollywood Argyles. Sometimes it just feels like seventies and eighties hiphop influenced rock.
Here's just one example of the musical diversity of this release. With its quirky klezmer sound, "Note to my Therapist" echoes the musical directions taken by Leonard Cohen during the Nineties, with a theatrical yet humourous first person narrative that leaves the listener not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The musical arrangements include elements of classic rock, klezmer, jazz, and a dozen other styles inconguously juxtaposed and yet somehow blending perfectly into a whole. It shouldn't work, but it does.
There appear to be three lead vocalists on this release. The main voice, which I assume to be Edgar Allen, almost always has that early sixties phrasing most commonly used in that era by satirical or comedic rock and roll bands such as The Hollywood Argyles. There is also another male voice and a female voice, both of whom take a more modern approach in their presentation of the lyrics, echoing a number of popular artists of the last three decades. An example of the latter is the male vocal on "New Jersey" that is very much in the spoken word style used by artists such as Sheryl Crow.
The lead vocalists are strongly supported by some very interesting backup vocals, including harmonies that rise up in waves to emphasize what must be the main points in the lyrics.
With lyrics that are sometimes but not always compelling and with a melange of musical styles, Edgar Allen & The Poettes is a group that some will love and some will hate. Whatever the feelings their recorded or live performances may inspire, their music will be hard to ignore.
For more information on New Jersey, visit Edgar Allen & The Poettes Online or CD Baby.
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Review written: February 21, 2005
Page modified: February 21, 2005
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