ALBUM REVIEW ~ EDDIE JAPAN ~ 'POP FICTION'

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In an exciting continuation of the ongoing saga of Edward Japan, pop-synth band Eddie Japan has released their latest album, Pop Fiction. It combines their 2019 EP, The Amorous Adventures of Edward Japan, with six new enthralling tracks including two singles with the incomparable Greg Hawkes (The Cars).

If you’re unfamiliar with this otherworldly ensemble is comprised of Boston music scene veterans and includes a former video game developer at Looking Glass Studios and a sales manager for McIntosh. The band uses their background in tech and storytelling to create an immersive narrative over unique electronic tones. Eric Brosius, a founding member of Guitar Hero’s developing company Harmonix, recorded and mixed the album in his home studio, giving the band unfettered creative freedom to test experimental sounds and styles. The result is an album that has a clear understanding of place and time. The first track, “Edward Descending,” combines guitar, keyboard, drums, and tambourine to create an encompassing sound that is distinguishably mid-century futuristic. But as the album progresses, it seamlessly transitions through the iconic rhythm guitar of the mid 60’s all the way to the other-worldly synth creations of the early 80’s, just in time for the band’s honored guest, Hawkes, to make his highly anticipated appearance.

After producing Golden Age (2017) and performing live sets of music by The Cars around the greater Boston area, Hawkes became an honorary member of the band, appearing on the album’s singles “Time Machine” and “I Can’t Wait.” The result of this pairing is the band’s natural progression through decades of rock and into electronic and synth melodies. As the band grew, and Edward Japan’s story progressed, so too did the music. “Eventually, guitars became more prominent, and we began experimenting with more modern keyboard sounds,” vocalist David Santos explains. “But however we’ve evolved, I think there is an elegance to our sound that connects our various time periods.”

The plot itself follows a man in danger of going “too far.” Edward Japan has abandoned societal and perhaps even ethical responsibilities in his search for the very marrow of life. The band bases this journey on the ideas of philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, author of Either/Or, who wrote, “I want to be life, not this life or that life, just vitality itself.” Edward Japan is in search of the idyllic life centered around aesthetic and pleasure, but fears what he must leave behind to achieve this utopic goal. His story is told through emotional swells, infectious melodies, and the mood-setting artwork of graphic artist Todd Alcott.

Eddie Japan will hold an official release party for their new record on June 3rd at Faces Brewing Co. in Malden, MA, with guests Magen Tracy and the Missed Connections and Carissa Johnson. Their albums can be found on Spotify and their latest music video for “Time Machine” featuring Greg Hawkes is available on YouTube.

I’m Music Magazine Writer Kayleigh Rongey