Musically, little has changed with Dear Ephesus between their debut album release and this follow-up, The Absent Sounds Of Me.
Their music is still somewhere on the border of emo. This band boasts interesting guitar lines, impassioned vocals, and regular moves from quiet to soft timed (slightly more subtly than in grunge). Yet, there is something imperceptible that sets them apart from bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and perhaps prevents them from gaining acceptance in parts of the indie rock world: Aaron Wiederspahn's vocals. Ultimately, his voice may determine the popularity of this album with many listeners. In a slightly nasal manner, Wiederspahn's makes an extremely passionate statement, which dominates the music. Often this is the sort of approach that will either be adored or hated.
On The Absent Sounds Of Me, the songs are fairly consistent, while maintaining enough variety to hold interest. The lyrics are as impassioned as the vocals and range from the recounting of struggles to direct professions of faith.
In all likelihood, Dear Ephesus won't get much Christian radio play from The Absent Sounds Of Me. But for those that want music that has both edge and melody, this project is worth a listen. Overall, this is a strong effort that also has some poignant moments.
Other coverage for this album
7ball #24Reviewed by Steve TudorUpon first hearing the wow and flutter of the atmospheric first track mesh with the urgently upbeat guitar barrage of "Looked For In The First Place," one is forced to realize this is a totally different Dear Ephesus. Taking on a more progressive sound with The Absent Sounds of Me, the band has chewed up and spit out the abundant impurities one may have heard on The Consolation of Pianissimo.…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James StewartDear Ephesus' debut The Consolation of Pianissimo was released to mixed opinions. While there were plenty of people who enjoyed it, the album seemed to strike a bad note with many indie rock fans, who saw the band as passing themselves off falsely as "emo" or who simply disliked Aaron Weiderspahn's vocals. For me, this follow-up release is both a step forward and one backward. The band feel more…HM Magazine #74Reviewed by Doug Van PeltThere are a lot of great bands with new releases this Fall, and this one by Dear Ephesus may just well be the best. The band has crafted some great songs, which are bolstered by fine production. Shades of lo-fi guitars creep in, but they are complimented by a nice `n' wide low end. It's kind of hard to describe the sound on this record. "Looked For In The First Place" has a nice pop vibe to it,…Similar sounding releases
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