The Epochs - Epochs (CD)

All Music Guide

Subtlety should be The Epochs middle name, for across their eponymous album, the group carefully craft an intricate set of gorgeous, subtle songs, mostly in a poppy mode. Both the lavish "Picture of the Sun" and the effervescent "Stand Up Be Counted", a number gently washed in a '60s style, capture the group at their pop best. But that's only the icing on this sumptuous cake. The infectious "Love Complete" defies easy generational divides, its muscular beats and powerful organ counterpointed by lush strings and a giddy, irrepressible melody. If George Michael's "Faith" was retooled by Giorgio Moroder, then given a modern remix, it might sound nearly as good as this.And if that's amazing, what The Epochs do with soul, blues and RB is sheer brilliance. Popsoul vocals splay across "Opposite Sides", although it's the ever changing beats that drive the song, while the ambient electronica shades the atmosphere. Soul also infuses "Mister Fog", a pizzicato kind of number that counterintuitive...ly is as smokey as its title. RB initially swaggers across the fabulous "Right On", before the band sashay into electronica, then swirl in moody Spanish guitar. Before they're done, The Epochs not only rock out, but weave in lush string passages and glowing organ solos, creating an epic of a song. "Tug of War" is equally complex. The song begins with folky, fingersnapping blues, but quickly stir in arpeggios of electric guitar. Jumping off the porch and into the arena, The Epochs storm into hardrock circa the late 60s, before ending the number with an evocative soft hum. Read more Less