There are times when I think that introspection is the new emotional default with so many musicians pulling from the inside to provide the sustenance for song creation and “Garden of Edie” by Edie is one more example of this approach.
Not that Edie has forgotten how to put melody where it should as she engages catharsis mode and it is to her credit that she makes these four songs seem relevant to an audience who, in all probability, are not completely aligned with her viewpoints and life experience. Personally, I prefer her more brooding moments – such as in “Chemical” – where she neatly transcribes the modern world of emotional engagement into the kind of song that screams dancefloor remix. This may sound like a journey into the dark yet those dancefloor loops add that degree of ear friendly identification to those who have made similar unexpected turns into the unlit alleyway of personal connection.
It is possible that you have to be of a certain age or lower to truly appreciate the sentiments expressed in Edie’s lyrics but even those who fondly remember the past will spot that, apart from the presentation, things haven’t really changed that much in the world or, maybe, life in the 21st century just isn’t as much fun as it should be.