'Modern rock' is one of those generic labels that tells you little about the music behind the tag. It stretches from blues-influenced hard rock to electronica experimental music. 'Modern radio rock' might be a term that's slightly narrower (albeit unhelpful). Fringe throws their hat in the ring with Third Day, Collective Soul, and Pearl Jam with For The Vagabond Believer. Part 'Southern Rock,' part vocal-first acoustic rock. The melody dances with the riff for a diverse presentation. The mellower moments, like "The Returning Missionary," with its guest vocals by Aimee Perry, run along like so much Third Day CCM drivel. The soft "Deeper," however, is beautiful. Soft vocals and harmonies conjure images of King's X, and it's ended with some great jamming. The riff-driven rockers are very good. "Down Dizzy" shows some of the emotional characteristics that made grunge so popular years ago. The song features a breakdown and subtle pouting vocals a la Eddie Vedder that catches a contagious "the song could go on forever" vibe that's really cool. "Lightspeed" is a rocker that borrows from the Collective Soul school of catchy and processed guitar riffs and tasteful "da-da da-da" BGV's. If I was going to produce this band, I would obviously distill the rocking numbers and trim the track count down to ten songs. I would also focus on the instrumentation -- always going for a crisp and distinct sound, or making it more progressive. The predictable rhythms and a few forgettable songs in the middle make this disc a long, drawn-out affair. Vocalist Jason Clark sounds like he has the potential to carry the band, but his performance here is not commanding. Fair and pleasant, but not riveting. If this band keeps it up, Fringe will no longer mean "outsider." It'll stand for popular.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Linda J. T. LaFianzaIf the name refers to their place in the contemporary scene, it is way off base. Their combination of post-modern rock, shoe-gazer, Starflyer-esque guitar work and impassioned, introspective songs are right in the center of the current college rock song. If the term refers to the bottom of the Levites' ceremonial robes, signifying their spirituality, well, they are right on target. This upstate…Opus 2001Reviewed by Jason MoreheadThere's always a problem I feel I face when reviewing Christian artists. On one hand, I want to support a fellow Christian's ministry. Obviously, they feel it's important enough to dedicate a serious amount of their time to trying to create and perfect it. And far be it from me to rain on their parade. Who am I to judge a ministry's effectiveness? But on the other hand, there's that "critical"…ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by Adam L.As I sit inside on what could quite possibly be the most beautiful day of this spring, I found myself longing for a hard-rock, metal mix of Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam. At the same time, I just happened to be assigned to reviewing this new album from New York-based Fringe. What luck! It had everything I was looking for. Now before you go passing this off as another rant by a cynical reviewer,…Similar sounding releases
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