{"id":28828,"date":"2025-01-06T05:30:33","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T10:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=28828"},"modified":"2024-12-19T12:30:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T17:30:56","slug":"album-review-db-edmunds-everybody-knows-by-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/06\/album-review-db-edmunds-everybody-knows-by-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: DB Edmunds — Everybody Knows by Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"DB Edmunds released his debut solo EP, Life\u2019s Wild Ride<\/i><\/a> in 2022. That set was the first new music I had heard from the North Carolina multi-instrumentalist since his days in criminally-overlooked power pop group Gladhands (a band I rave about every chance I get, even decades on).<\/p>\n

As much as I enjoyed Life\u2019s Wild Ride<\/i>, it frustrated me a bit in the way that EPs inevitably do: Can\u2019t there be more?<\/i> So I waited patiently for a followup, and here it is. Everybody Knows By Now<\/i> is a full-length, 11 songs totaling over 40 minutes of music. So the quantity box is thus checked; what about the quality?<\/p>\n

The title of the opening track hints at the answer: \u201cGive it all You Got\u201d features phase-shifted guitar, a solid beat and \u2013 best of all \u2013 Edmunds\u2019 distinctive vocals, one of the main ingredients that made Gladhands albums to irresistible and satisfying. An uncluttered arrangement highlights the elements of Edmunds\u2019 songcraft, wrapping them in a chiming melodic package.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan You Feel It?\u201d is up next, and the answer is yes. Swirling organ and propulsive beat power this anthemic rocker. Guitar counterpoint under the vocals adds some nice texture, and the variety of tones\/textures makes the song even better.<\/p>\n

Edmunds changes up the vibe for \u201cChasing Yesterday.\u201d A contemplative tune built around a subtly jazz-flavored acoustic guitar, the song has an arrangement that unfolds gradually, the aural equivalent of a dolly camera puling back on a scene to reveal a full and lush landscape. Understated use of synthesizer deepens the emotional resonance of the song, and once again Edmunds\u2019 pliant and assured vocal harmonies are showcased.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Don\u2019t You go) Wishing in a Falling Star\u201d is nicely reminiscent of Nazz, the Todd Rundgren group whose \u201cForget All About It\u201d was so expertly covered by Gladhands decades ago. An especially memorable guitar break \u2013 with a Pete Townshend-ish rhythm-meets-lead character \u2013 anchors the track.<\/p>\n

The high powered \u201cGin & Vermouth\u201d features acerbic lyrics and an Attractions-ish combo organ to match. Insistent guitar chording, exuberant bursts of drums and some well-placed ba-ba-ba vocalisms (I\u2019m a sucker for those) make a strong tune even better. The effects applied to the backing vocals is a nice touch as well.<\/p>\n

Pacing and sequencing are important \u2013 and all too often neglected \u2013 parts of an effective album. And Edmunds clearly puts thought into those elements. \u201cAt the Break of Day\u201d is a wonderful instrumental reminiscent (in character, not melody) of the intro to Big Star\u2019s classic \u201cWatch the Sunrise.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chiming \u201cAll the Possibilities\u201d has a Paisley Underground feel, successfully fusing the best qualities of \u201860s psych, \u201880s alternarock and \u201890s power pop revival into something that sounds and feels timeless. Edmunds\u2019 vocal arrangement am the manner in which the instrumentation changes up for the middle eights are just two of the song\u2019s many virtues.<\/p>\n

An album outlier in terms of style, \u201cSee the Lights Go Down\u201d emphasizes keyboards for its first minute. From there the song expands into a solid, midtempo sawing rocker than moves the keyboard into a supporting role. A very appealing and evocative guitar break makes effective use of overdubbing.<\/p>\n

The earnest \u201cBlind Faith\u201d is filled with the sort of catchy sonic elements one by now expects from DB Edmunds, but the song\u2019s pointed lyrics are the true key to its success. The simmering \u201cThe Weight of the World\u201d is positively cinematic and noir-ish in its character. Edmunds\u2019 waltzing minor key melody is couched in a booming, cavernous and melancholy arrangement that suits it perfectly.<\/p>\n

The intimate and spare \u201cThis Time Around\u201d ends the album on a resigned and heartfelt note. Edmunds\u2019 lyrics express regret and hope for the future, all at once. It\u2019s a note-perfect way to close a breathtakingly realized album.<\/p>\n

Edmunds produced the album, but special mention should be made of the superb mixing of Everybody Knows by Now<\/i>, courtesy of legendary producer\/engineer Mitch Easter. And while it\u2019s Edmunds\u2019 name on the cover, his band is in top form here, well deserving of name-checking: Larry Burlison (guitars), Gary Miller (Bass), Mike Walters (keys) and Tony Stiglitz (drums).<\/p>\n

Personal postscript:<\/b> Owing to a backlog of great albums on my desk, coupled with a rather inflexible first-in-first-out policy, Everybody Knows by Now<\/i> has sat unreviewed in my office since late October. So even while it\u2019s only just now getting proper coverage here, it deserves mention as one of my favorite releases of 2024. Highly, highly recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DB Edmunds released his debut solo EP, Life\u2019s Wild Ride in 2022. That set was the first new music I had heard from the North Carolina multi-instrumentalist since his days […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28824,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,55,62,65,73],"tags":[4907,909],"class_list":["post-28828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-release","category-powerpop","category-rawk","category-review","category-vinyl","tag-db-edmunds","tag-gladhands","cat-49-id","cat-55-id","cat-62-id","cat-65-id","cat-73-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28828"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28829,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28828\/revisions\/28829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}