Review Summary: Underrated, underappreciated, and surprisingly excellent, this was the pinnacle of what is now nearly forty years in the music industry.
Largely lost to the sands of time, Oregon-born singer-songwriter Meredith Brook's 1998 album Blurring The Edges is a deceptively good listen. What feels like a generic pop rock-by-numbers endeavor in its first couple of moments rapidly evolves into a catchy, energetic, and thoroughly enjoyable twelve-track record. Whilst lead single Bitch is the only song here that will ever receive any airplay in any conceivable future - and even then, only on retro playlists - it is an album I recommend actively seeking out and spinning. It isn't a life changing experience, but it is a very positive one.
Opening with its weakest track, I Need, Blurring The Edges works out all of its kinks within that four minute track. The vocal patterns have aged badly here, and the riffs aren't especially inventive, although there is undeniable passion and attitude in the second verse that makes this not an entire waste of time, and Meredith's vocals are strong. She does not have the widest range ever, but there is a sass to certain notes, whilst others are delivered with such conviction and a feeling of a singer actually enjoying themselves. Brooks had been in the music business for two decades by the time this album launched, and she had clearly honed her songwriting well, with the quality shining throughout most of its runtime.
Bitch is an infectious track, with a surprisingly somber and depressing note of "I hate the world today" to introduce it, before exploding into a memorable and fantastic chorus. Beginning the song with a simplistic but good drum beat, then leading in with some chord progressions, before the louder chorus notes and a slight progression of that same drum beat really gives her a solid basis to work off of, and Meredith's vocals make this utterly incredible. Watched You Fall is another standout, with a minimalist musical backdrop that allows the lyrics to carry it. "It's such a weary feeling when you've been stealing from yourself, wishing the world away, blaming someone else," so goes the second verse, emphasising the introspective and thought provoking lyrics of Brooks' softer songs. Whilst the instrumentation here is not as in your face as, say, the chorus of Bitch, or the snappy attitude-filled intro to Shatter, it is still remarkably effective. These songs are really well balanced against each other, with the softer songs often placed after some of the more energetic pieces and ensuring perfect pacing.
To be completely honest, there is little negative to say about this record. Outside of the opening song, Blurring The Edges was a fantastic second album in a solo career that is forever unappreciated but very consistent and of a high quality. I recommend this album highly.
