In the last week I have bought three just released albums, Drift Effect’s “The Temporal End” being one of those. All three were from bands that I liked. Undoubtedly they will all be in the rotation when I choose random on my playlist, but that might be a while because lately I’ve been almost exclusively listening to “The Temporal End”.
I’m not a critic. It’s very rare that I write more than a one sentence review of anything. I have to talk way too much at work and the 140 characters that Twitter gives me to share my thoughts and feelings are usually way too much. Plus I tend to go by a live and let live motto or in this case, listen and let listen (in peace). Everyone has their own musical tastes and mine are no more important than yours. However, I’ve got to tell you that in some cases rules should be broken and this is one of them. I’m sure you’re wondering right now just why you should listen to what I’m saying. Well, I have no qualifications except for one…Music is my drug and I’m a junkie.
If you’re still reading, it’s probably because you want to know a little about this cd. The very best thing I can tell you is to go listen to it yourself from start to finish. (It’s free to play online!) Listen to it again. Then, go read the lyrics and listen again. If you don’t like what you hear by that point, you probably won’t and the rest of this review is not for you.
Disclaimer: I am not a part of the band and have had no involvement whatsoever in the creation of this album. The following is my own personal opinion. Still interested? Ok, let’s get down to business…
“The Temporal End” is a journey through fear, anger, sadness, desperation, confusion and hope. It contains songs that reflect on several personal and tragic events. Unlike prior Drift Effect albums, these are not victims’ songs but one of a survivor that is coming to terms with a very bad hand dealt in his past and recognizing the struggle for a better future is held in his own hands and not waged on the rest of the world. If it sounds deep, it’s because it is. However, Ray’s understated, elegant style of writing ensures the proper respect to his subjects and that the message he is trying to deliver is understandable and accessible to anyone from any walk of life.
Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, this is not a depressing album full of self-loathing or self-pity. While it may stir up some buried feelings, it doesn’t wallow in them. In fact the overwhelming feeling of the album is to break free from those ties that bind you and move on to a better place; albeit more often in a figurative sense than literally.
Some songs are tied to experiences that a listener may or may not be able to relate to personally, ie death by spousal abuse in “She Said”. Others are less specific and are open to multiple interpretations. For example, the prison in “Attica” could be taken literally or could be figuratively interpreted as the trapped feeling we all have at various stages in our life.
Regardless of whether the lyrics take you on a journey to self-discovery or understanding, the music will definitely carry you along to other places. Simply said, the music is brilliant. Ben, Nate, Adam, and Marc are exceptional musicians and it really shows on this album. Ray has the voice of satin; from silky to scratchy, cool to warm, and very powerful. The music and vocals are rich and varied encompassing a very broad range of sounds, never boring or passé, full of emotion. I’d listen to this cd over and over again for the music alone! But, lyrics and the music together are a perfect complement, one punctuates the other and vice versa.
In conclusion, “The Temporal End” is the best album I’ve bought this year. Period. It’s going to be really hard for band to outdo it. But, there’s about half the year left and I’d love it if someone rose to the challenge. I should probably end the review right here but, I’d be remiss in my duties as a die hard Drift Effect fan if I didn’t say one more thing…In my most humble of opinions and with the greatest amount of respect for all the guys in the band and my strongest wishes that live happily however *they* see fit; I think the greatest tragedy here is that “The Temporal End” is the literal end of Drift Effect.
~ Melissa L.