SHOWY, BRIGHT, AND INVENTIVE, TRANSCENDENCE STRIKES A CHEEKY POSE

Indie-music.com CD Review Reviews: Ed Hale and the Transcendence ~ Rise and Shine
Posted on Tuesday, October 08, 2002 @ 05:46:22 EST
Topic: Reviews

Artist: Ed Hale and the TranscendenceCD: Rise and Shine (TMG REcords)
Home: Miami, Florida
Style: Rock
Quote: “Showy, bright and inventive, and strikes a cheeky pose in the process”.

By Heidi Drockelman
Rising up from the ashes of an almost industry-apocalyptic resurgence of bubble-gum pop, there are several artists who are putting their most confident foot forward and taking a leap into the “space oddity” air that Bowie left his footprint in years ago. In the golden age of glam it wasn’t uncommon to hear artists take risks in almost every song, pushing their own outer limits and pushing the listener to explore their own depths of tolerance and normalcy. Ed Hale and the Transcendence have taken a look back, a look forward, and incorporated this in their current musical vision.
Just the name of the band can speak volumes here, where the material coincides with a modern glam swagger to create the complete package. For so many artists, their image is all they really have – they don’t write their own songs, they barely perform live, and sure, they look good, but shiny pennies get tarnished with time. Ed Hale has taken a page from Bowie, Pulp, Iggy, and yes, U2, to reinvent the modern version of glam rock. While much of the material is showy, bright and inventive, and strikes a cheeky pose in the process.
The best material on this record reflects a sense of whimsy, sincerity and a fierce fight to remain true to the basic elements of what makes a good rock record. Songs like “Mother” (not Glenn Danzig, don’t get worked up now), “Better Luck Next Time”, and “Letter to a Friend”. There are also several forays into the hip-hop arena, although at times this combination seems forced, the effort and approach is still notable.
The fact is, while a few of the experiments in alchemy don’t always sit well with me, I appreciate and applaud Hale’s talent, willingness to take a risk on himself, and his audience. This is a different kind of rock record, and one that will grow on the listener after many spins because of its versatility and after a few listens, some of the songs you might not have been attracted to at first will suddenly click into place.
An interesting way to get to know Ed Hale, and I look forward to future releases.
http://www.transcendence.com or http://www.tmgrecords.net

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