Originally of Birmingham England, Edward Rogers is a New York based singer-songwriter who’s latest solo effort Sparkle Lane (named after a street his grandmother lived on that was paved with concrete and bits of broken glass whose sparkle sums up how Edward felt as a child) deals with the loss of innocence, and stories of his childhood.
Sounding musically like the Beatles, and lyrically like The Who, the Kinks, and XTC. Sparkle Lane is a mix of 14 fun little dittys that have a high repeat value. Crafting a more personal album, and not featuring help from his famous friends (previous albums included guest spots from Byrds founder Roger McGuinn, The Church’s Marty Willson-Piper and Zombies members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone) Edward Rogers wrote most of this album himself. Although, coming into music late in life, Rogers has more than made up for his absence with this gem.
“Unknown Until Today”: Edward Rogers sings an melodic string-backed instant classic about not wanting to be an useless seventh string on a guitar.
“Whatever You’ve Been Told”: With it’s Violin Pizzicato it’s impossible not to like this song. One of many highlights of this album.
“Boys in Grey”: Edward Rogers spins a yarn about his childhood school chums, and wonders what they’re up to now. It’s bound to make you retrospective, and bring a tear to your eye.
“Land of the Free” : A pub song about Roger’s immigration to the United States at age 12 with everything they owed packed safely in tea chests. It’s bound to warm the heart of any expatriate, especially after a few drinks.
By Shawn Alexander Roy
[Rating: 5/5]
