Things Don’t Need to Get Much Better
Eden Fine Day is singer/songwriter Eden Fineday (Fine Day was her great great grandfather’s name, but it was legally shortened to one word) out of Vancouver, British Colombia, combining sad story lyrics with driving pop instrumentation and a truly hypnotic voice — absolutely gorgeous.
“I had a dream last night. I dreamed you were still alive” is the phrase that opens the second song, “Brian (Lucky)” and after that it is clear what she means by having her genre pegged as “sad pop” on her Facebook page, because that is exactly what this is. This is pop music to the core — you could add any radio ballad lyrics over top, and it would most likely work, but her emotional writings and splendorous voice take the music to a whole other level. “Damaged” is a rocking country song, complete with a lead banjo carrying along with the melody, and that classic cool walking country bass used as a medium to tell everyone who hurt her how it has made her who she is. “Up North” follows as a down-tempo, spacious pop ballad that further demonstrates the quality of her songwriting and voice as well as the talents of the musicians local to Vancouver.
These things can be said for almost every song on the album. It seems to be lacking contrast in that regard. Every song is either a driving power-pop country song, albeit of very high quality, or a country power-pop ballad, again still very well done. “Ndn Children” stands out amongst the others with a high level of energy, while remaining low and drawn back, until the bridge where she and the band explode outward before breaking down to a cello outro. Most of the songs follow this power country format, and while it is well-performed, it leaves little else to say aside from how beautiful this woman’s voice is and how she executes her creative intent and the tastefulness of classic pop style.
This is a truly wonderful album with many tuneful ideas that will leave any music consumer of average to moderate listening habits satiated and pleased with their money well spent; however, it sounds like they played it safe while making this album. This becomes very apparent during “Parent-Teacher Day,” which features a several oddities, such as a horn set far in the back of the mix, coupled with slightly-off male vocals, and a completely different atmosphere from the rest of the album. That aside, this is an album worth listening to at least twice and Eden Fine Day is an artist to keep an eye on.
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