James LaBrie’s solo album, ‘impermanent Resonance’, was one of 2013’s surprise joys. There was never any question that the man is talented, but the quality of the song-writing, the depth of the production and the enviable refusal of the music to leave one’s brain for weeks at a time still managed to come as something of a shock to the system. With that in mind, the release of a digital EP which gathers together the track ‘I will not break’ alongside the two bonus tracks from the special edition of the album, three bonus tracks from various editions of ‘Static impulse’ and three remixes of ‘static impulse’ tracks, is a most welcome release, reminding the listener of just how good James LaBrie’s solo work is.
The title track of the EP, a solid pop-metal hybrid that justifies the former tag with a melody so insistent it can’t even be dislodged with raw spirits; whilst the latter tag is given credence by the relentless, driving guitars that remorselessly batter down any lasting resistance. A near perfect bridge between Dream Theater at their most accessible and melodic and the fiery work of In Flames, it’s the perfect choice for a single. ‘Unravelling’ makes great use of the electronic elements that James and his crew have mastered so thoroughly, Matt Guillory’s sweet backing vocals and keyboard work adding much to the track, whilst ‘why’ takes a heavier stance that draws in Pete Wildoer’s throat-shredding screams as a counterpoint to James’ warm vocal approach. Both tracks will be familiar to those who purchased the physical special edition of the album, but for those who operate in the digital realm, both tracks are excellent additions to your collection.
Of the older tracks, ‘coming home’ is an airy, progressive tinged track, played mostly on the acoustic guitar and making use of rich vocal harmonies to deliver a song that sits somewhere between Dream Theater’s bombast and Anathema’s more recent, ethereal work. The two demo tracks are of a quality that most independent bands would envy, with ‘Jekyll or Hyde’ a brutal work out incorporating raw screams and hard driving guitars, and ‘just watch over me’ a similarly chunky offering that rises out of a piano-led opening ina vein reminiscent of ‘dark eternal night’. As an interesting aside, on the demo tracks, Matt Guillory provides the lead vocal and it has to be said that, particularly when one considers the ridiculously high standard set by James, he does an outstanding job on both tracks.
The final three tracks of the EP are remix efforts, two of which are previously unreleased and one of which was previously unavailable outside of Japan. As with most remix efforts the results are mixed and, in truth, not terribly successful. ‘I tried (Jason Miller Re-mix)’ is a disappointingly average remix of a good song, with only a dub-step style break taking the song in a worthwhile direction. ‘Over the edge (Mutrix re-mix)’ is likely to be the most contentious as it reworks the track in a harrowingly contemporary vein, more or less extinguishing the song under a welter of chirpy dub step that relentlessly fails to emphasise any of the wonderful musicality that makes James LaBrie’s work so special. ‘Euphoric (Neon Genesis Re-mix)’ is possibly the best of the bunch, also clothing James’ powerful vocals in dub step armour but doing a better job than on the previous track. The truth is, however, that James’ work needs no such embellishment and it is unlikely that many fans will opt for the three remixes at the end of the EP over the far more powerful originals.
Overall this digital-only EP is likely to appeal to fans keen to complete their collection with hard-to-find tracks, but it is hard to recommend to first-time purchasers of James LaBrie’s solo material (that honour should go to parent album ‘Impermanent Resonance’). Whilst the title track and the attendant bonus cuts are exceptional, the demo tracks are rather of curio value than essential additions to a collection, and the re-mixes are simply not appealing, the DJs chosen seemingly uninterested in drawing out the nuances of the music and opting, instead, to demolish each song under a wall of ultimately meaningless and distracting surface clutter. As a low-priced EP this will certainly appeal to fans of James’ exceptional solo material, but it should be approached with caution, particularly by those who have yet to hear the wider body of James’ work.
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