Every Day Life has been out there for a while amazing fans, be it through their cds, through their amazing Creation Fest shows, or just by being, in the words of Tedd Cookerly (Vocals, lyrics), "the guy next door, only playing a style of music you would never guess the guy next door would play".
They started us off with the debut album Disgruntled. Back then they were more hip hop and were not as far into the hardcore realm as they would later become with American Standard. This second album was much heavier, and they added more hardcore style vocals into most of the songs. My favorite were Tedd's semi-distorted screamed vocals that simply could not be more aggressive, they remind me a lot of the vocals on the first Training For Utopia EP.
With their third work, Moment of Clarity I feel the band has mellowed out a bit. The most aggressive song "Let it Ride" is the only one that really sports the aggressive distorted vocals. The guitars throughout this cd are great, they have great rhythm. However, I have a problem with them being weakly distorted. It sounds like they are using Fender amps or something. It does fit the less aggressive tone of the songs however. For the most part, I feel that the band has gotten more into the hip/hop groove of things. They still have heavy parts and yelling, but I just feel like the songs are weaker. I can just see so many ways they could have made the music more aggressive, and I liked them more in the heavier American Standard days. I am however getting into the funky hip-hop aspects of this cd, and I like it. At least they do what they do here well. I just was expecting them to get even heavier this time around.
Tedd Cookerly has been known for his thought provoking lyrics. The lyrics here are a bit less political than on American Standard. I feel that the lyrics are still superb, but that Tedd is focusing a bit more on personal experiences. Take the song "Wrecking Ball" for example.
As many times before, I am in a holding pattern. Reducers sit back and wait for their chance to flatten my ego, life, and testimony. They're rolling phony. Telling me I have lack of faith; they're full of bologna. They don't show me that they could do any better than I could do. Remember me from Flipside? Because I remember you. But all's fair in love and war. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. It's yourself you're bluffing. Every time I push back to stand up tall, you do me wrong, which makes you the wrecking ball. And every time reduce me to nothing at all, I realize that you are the wrecking ball. Too many times before my friends have been the wrecking ball. They say that they support me when they tried to make me fall. Reducing me to tears of anger while they hide in coffee shops. But guidelines of the world cannot stop what God must stop. To put an end to the madness, stop the hypocrisy. A praying wall of fiberglass that cheapens God's beauty. Good thing they have me to put their focus upon, 'cause if they look in the mirror, the wrecking ball is wrong. Wrecking Balls of the world, unite and take over!
This is still a great band, but if you're hoping for the super super heavy crazy hip/hop hardcore that I was expecting, you may not want to bother with this one.
7/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #79Reviewed by Doug Van PeltWow! Imagine if the monster rapcore band E.D.L. joined forces with Faith No More... This is the kind of commercialism that E.D.L. has added to their potent sound. Tedd Cookerly's scary monster vocals are still backed up by the ferocious and creative guitar playing of Carl Weaver (see "Adieu"), but the band collectively is churning up a new mix of dance, hip-hop, and pop. Overall, this album is…7ball #24Reviewed by David JenisonIn 1996, EDL emerged as a contender in Christian rapcore with their sophomore American Standard. The album secured EDL a solid fanbase with its pop-influenced touch, but both the market and EDL were ready for a heavier, more underground sound when it came time for a third project. Produced by Eric Stenman of Tinfed, Moment of Clarity takes EDL deeper into the rapcore scene with energized hip-hop…Bandoppler 1999Reviewed by Earl CampbellIt took almost a decade, but here come the props. Every Day Life may have been the victim of some major industry neglect in the past, but with this release, justice should prevail. Moment of Clarity is being distributed in the general market by Paradigm Associated Labels, which includes Big Deal Records, and in the Christian market by KMG. This is a major landmark for the Christian artists who…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Michial FarmerIt's easy to tell what the latest craze in Christian music is. Just look at the independent bands, and if they all seem to be playing the same style of music, you've got yourself a trend. Lately, it seems that every unsigned Christian band in the nation is playing some derivative of hardcore. Labels like Screaming Giant and Bettie Rocket are signing these bands by the boatload, and you're no…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Joe RockstrohWhat a shame that when Christian music finally graduates some quality bands to the mainstream, they release sub par albums. While there are some high quality songs such as the radio ripe "Represent" and the screaming, classic EDL hardcore of "Let It Ride", the atrocious rapping that permeates many of the songs ruins a good portion of this album. The contrast between the polished radio ready…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by D_ListerCrap crap crap crap! EDL goes and drops the full name (Every Day Life) and with most of their name gone, so goes most of their good material it seems. I liked their first album Disgruntled so-so but man the follow up The American Standard was an album I totally got into. So when I hear they are on the brink of releasing another album I go and get myself all excited. Well, I shouldn't have.…Similar sounding releases
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