Edison's Children

Warm holiday greetings fellow progheads!  I know I've been saying it repeatedly, but the end of 2017 is creeping dangerously close to a foregone conclusion.  So before the hourglass runs dry, the Concert Closet takes the search for all things prog back to the UK for one last listen.  This week I check in with a band I have been enjoying as they fly low under the radar; Edison's Children.

Edison's Children is like the quiet kid in math class who dresses well and aces all the tests...good pedigree; just admirably humble.  Referring to themselves as "...Sci-Fi Prog with a Pink Floyd edge..." has definitely tweaked my listeners.  Time to sit under a set of headphones and dim the lights...

Starting the walk across the prog garden with "Stranger in a Foreign Land" I find myself stepping through acreage rich with an uptempo beat.  The bass flows seamlessly with the drums, carrying the vocals across the top like caramelized sugar on a creme brulee...once the shell is cracked, it all becomes the best part.  There are top notes of Crack The Sky and perhaps a touch of Nad Sylvan as well.  Edison's Children smacks the canvas with a wide array of colors...pale blue to bright red to scorching orange to sullen gray...as they blend together you get the impression this ride is quite the mood elevator...

Digging deeper into the band's resume, I come across "Light Years."  The dust on the stylus sound that opens the song is actually quite impressive; I feel like I am listening to George Harrison jam with that impressive all star band he used to call his friends...the dark clouds overhead are tempered with a gentleness and serenity that allow you to relinquish control, knowing you are safe so long as the music is playing.  Edison's Children emit a fragrance reflective of The Strawbs on this cut; soothing, mesmerizing, and a bit haunting...complete with candles burning brightly in the background...

Liner Notes...Edison's Children is the determined collaboration between Pete Trewavas and Eric Blackwood.  The band splits home turf between Sugar Loaf NY, and Aylesbury, England--since these are Eric and Pete's respective hometowns.  You may recognize these two as card carrying members of the prog garden who gained entrance prior to joining forces.  Undoubtedly you know Pete Trewavas from Marillion and Transatlantic; Eric Blackwood was  a member of Crimson Steele, Blackwood, and Sunblister.  For a time Eric left the music world to work in the "movie biz" (east coast version) and explore his passion for photography.  Fortunately for us mere mortals, he ultimately joined forces with Pete, breathing life into Edison's Children for our enjoyment here in the prog garden.

Pete and Eric are accompanied by many special guests, all of whom are well known in their own right.  They include Ian Mosley, Mark Kelly, Steve Rothery, and Steve "h" Hogarth--all Marillion alums.  Also appearing are Robin Boult, Henry Rogers, Chris Mack, Andy Ditchfield, and Rick Armstrong...you know, son of the "first man on the moon" Neil Armstrong.  Besides crowding a well-built stage, it almost appears to be Marillion 2.0, but that would be an injustice--and an
inaccuracy--all around.

Rather, Edison's Children is an extension of two artists who needed an outlet for the other stuff floating in their head and auspiciously they found it.You can learn much more about Edison's Children at Edison's Children and their Facebook page Edisons Children FB.  Their music can be purchased directly from their website and/or on Amazon.  With three albums on their resume you will definitely find something to satisfy your auditory canals.  Don't forget to follow Edison's Children on Twitter @edisonschildren

My third selection for review is feasibly a bit more on the ominous side; "Final Breath."  The piano/percussion opening sends a chill up your spine; the notes strike like hammer blows...deliberately and haltingly.  When the song reaches its climax you are pelted with hailstones seemingly from nowhere.  While there is a strong Marillion feel to this piece, it is tempered with top notes of early Pink Floyd and a dash of Gentle Giant.  Edison's Children changes the aura in the room with the finesse of a fine sherry; so subtle you cruise right through.

Have a listen to "Spiraling" from the band's 2011 release "In the Last Waking Moments."  Edison's Children opens the door just enough to let their inner Spock's Beard out.  The acoustic guitar carries the vocals like driftwood gently to shore while the keyboards build a gentle cocoon around the entire piece holding it all together.  Might as well dim the lights and relax...

And with that another seven days fades from the 2017 calendar.  Edison's Children may have come about through equal parts chance, happenstance, and determination, but that does not make the band a lesser part of the prog whole.  Artists finding an avenue of escape for work that doesn't fit the constraints of their existing band are part of what makes the prog garden the beautiful labyrinth that it is.  Every once in a while the search for all things stumbles across a gem hiding in plain sight, and Edison's Children is one such pearl in the oyster bed.

Now the journey moves on, winding down its 2017 run while gearing up for what lies in wait behind the curtain that is 2018...until next time...