The album as an artform, true rock as a force of undying escapism, plus lyrical sensitivity – it’s a rare combination, but Edge have captured the essence of all of this, with the superb new album Latency, Vol. 1.
Storming into view with the fast-paced cascading guitar riff of Until We Meet Again, the project is quick to assert itself as atmospheric, organic rock – a real sound and well-produced for that wholly-immersive energy.
Soon we’re presented with the leading voice of Edge, an evocative melody and lyrical vulnerability uniting for a subtle twist of the unexpected. The songwriting is deeply personal, the music broadly engaging and powerful – a pairing that naturally allows the listener to connect this to their own stories and memories; precisely what we seek out in music.
Latency, Vol.1 is only eight tracks in full, the style maintaining these implied threads throughout, but the writing brilliantly versatile – perhaps a perfect eight songs arranged and all filler refreshingly cut away.
Consider the shift to Undefeated, a motivational anthem that cries out on behalf of possibility and inspiration. The sound balances the sheer pace and unity of the band with a bold sense of singer-songwriter revelation and poetic purity. Edge are unafraid to lay things bare, and this quality meets beautifully with the fullness of the music.
Certain moments throughout Latency, Vol. 1 strike with a little more intensity than others. Overall the vocal sound and songwriting feels to me like a warming fusion of influences spanning from Goo Goo Dolls through to Audioslave. The latter hits well for the stunning song Sapphire, and overall that early 2000s emo-grunge sound can be remembered – Seether and other metal bands during their more stripped-back moments of contemplation and romance.
Start All Over follows and softens the production with a quicker, more colourful presentation – strong riffs and heavy bass, a clean and clear drop to the hook. There’s optimism in the lyrics and the sound, and this continues throughout the equally spacious Home, before the music softens further still but the writing veers off into regret, for the heartbroken and mellow Goodbye to Your Eyes.
Picking the pace back up with metal distortion and tempo is You Were The Last One, another darker anthem with strong guitar-work and deeply personal reflections on relationship turmoil. Then to finish, Edge set the mood for an arena-rock approach of equal parts simplicity and power. The hook drops in with a welcomed feature alongside our lead, and a subsequent dynamic that again tips its hat to the emotional yet heavy bands of decade’s past.
Lyrically poetic, personal yet vague enough to be made your own, the song’s of Latency, Vol. 1 speak on the desire to connect and reconcile. In the same instance, the music grips you, the band impress – sensational vocals and musicianship all faultlessly united at the helm. A brilliant album, and a fine introduction to Edge. I look forward to Volume 2.
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