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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Dustin Edge - By The Numbers


Dustin Edge - By The Numbers
2010, Dustin Edge


New York-based singer-songwriter Dustin Edge returns in 2010 with his sophomore album, By The Numbers. The Louisville, KY native had moved to the Czech Republic in 2006 to teach, but stumbled into a weekly gig at a local hostel. This experience awakened Edge’s love of performing, and he quickly moved back to the US to pursue his muse. By The Numbers has sort of a geek-cool sensibility to it, with Edge writing about life using mathematical and scientific concepts as allegories for life’s experiences.

By The Numbers opens with "The Golden Ration", a delirious, high-speed lyrical assault in a catchy arrangement you simply cannot ignore. The title references a mathematical concept studied since Ancient Greek times and occasionally regarded as a divine number or attribute. The Golden Ration is considered an aesthetically pleasing and has been used in visual art since the Renaissance. "Weights And Measures" is another high-speed ramble with lyrics delivered in rapid-fire style over a funk-rock arrangement. Dustin Edge's composition is compact, enjoyable and highly danceable. "Human Or Machine" finds Dustin Edge taking his foot off the pedal and grabbing a bit of magic in a highly marketable, appealing tune. "Easy As Pi" is a brief acoustic guitar diversion that sets up the ethereal Electronica of "Primes". This is a pretty composition that inspires phrases like "Space Age" and "Ambience". Fans of Bill Laswell and Pete Namlook might find something to like here.

Dustin Edge gets in enough theoretical references on By The Numbers to engage a team of theoretical physicists. Luckily the music is a bit more accessible; although it seems likely Dustin Edge didn't come into By The Numbers with a clear vision or direction. Nevertheless it's an enjoyable side-trip that should keep fan guessing about where he'll head next.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Dustin Edge at http://www.dustinedge.com/ or www.myspace.com/dustinedge. By The Numbers is available from Amazon.com as either a CD or Download.

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