Review Summary: A great EDEN album, but sadly, nothing more.
A great record for any big EDEN fans, but not necessarily the best first impression for any newcomers. The production is reminiscent of his Eden Project days with tracks like icarus and float having the same electronica vibe as tracks from his bipolar paradise EP. As per usual, EDENs left of center production shines here just as it has with his previous EPs and singles. You can tell that with time he's found a style of his own and is utilizing it nearly every track on this record.
If there was one thing I wish this album had done more of, I would say experimentation. Not necessarily in production, as this record excels in all aspects there. My pet peeve is that throughout the entire tracklist, no matter how different the songs sound, there’s the same recurring theme of love lost and existential heartbreak and that jazz. After a while, it begins to become predictable, and save a couple of songs (namely falling in reverse and gold), you realize every song is about the same subject matter, using the same style of lyricism. While the lyrics are well written, it feels like he's using the same old tricks he's had for the last few years.
Overall, I give this record an 8/10. It’s quite enjoyable, and was what I was hoping for from an EDEN album, but problem is, well, that’s it. I was kind of hoping to get blown away by this record in a way EDENs managed to do with this last two EPs, but that didn't happen here. Rest assured it is still a great album that I've had on repeat, and you can tell he poured his heart into it. But I will say this record hasn't shown any evolving or transforming as an artist as much as I would have liked to. Either way, it's another stellar work form EDEN that old time fans will love, and newcomers will at least find something interesting about it within.
