Another Life From Bill Eager

I wrote a post about Bill Eager’s album Coma Cluster a while ago, in which I mistakenly referred to it as his debut album. Since then he’s released a follow-up Coma Reborn (which I forgot to review, and will try to do later), which, along with Cluster, his site refers to as “a sci-fi tale of unrequited love and total isolation in the deep reaches of a futuristic universe”. Most recently, he released another album in the same vein called Another Life on Mars, which, like most of his albums, he offers for free on his website (although if you have the means to do so, definitely consider donating). Another Life describes itself pretty well, as it once again follows the Coma concept as a “sort of sequel/prequel” that “chronicles the life and times of Sprout Silver, a wayward adventurer thrust into a big, cold, and futuristic universe”. Bill Eager’s album is no Ziggy Stardust though; not because it’s bad, bu because it doesn’t really go out of its way to beat you over the head with its concept. Like his other albums, a lot of his songs are instrumental or drown his voice in an atmosphere of electric guitar and spacey effect, and though it didn’t blow me away like Coma Cluster did, it’s thoroughly enjoyable and showcases Eager’s talent with smooth and unique music.

1. Another Life on Mars – The piano driven title track is powered by a continuous and simple, but effective, drum beat that doesn’t really feel like a build up for the song, but rather for the album, since the song leads into a simple piano ballad with some brief, airy, “whoa-oa”-y vocals. It serves as a gentle, yet forceful introduction.
2. The Summer and the Shade – Probably one of my favorite songs on the album, that kicks off with gentle, electric strumming before an electric guitar solo and hazily cuts through. The song overall has a very traditional verse/chorus/verse structure and a vaguely pop/rock feel to it. There’s a very nice build-up to this cycle, and never feels like going through the motions, but remains fresh and uplifting throughout.
3. Fear – Some spacey effects and loose drumming quickly face the wrath of what I can only describe as a monumental electric guitar riff, and the song progresses as epically from there. Although I’m not completely crazy with the effect Bill Eager used on his vocals that kind of detracts from the humanity the lyrics beg for, it creates an interesting tension that is then perfected in the slow-build up return pushed through the bridge. The song then ends with the longest, subtlest, quietest fade out ever.
4. Ares: My Captor – The album’s first strictly instrumental song, with light, spacey organ and choir effects underneath slow, wearied guitar picking. I love this song, because of how it creates a bleak feeling of how love can really feel more like being captured than what it’s supposed to.
5. Deep Inside You – A slow song with gentle, spacey strumming and light vocals, which doesn’t really serve as a pick-up after “Ares”, but still follows it well.
6. Further – Much more of a pick-up comes in this song, which starts with a first half of flowing piano before an electric wall of sound kicks in after a brief pause, blares for a while, then abruptly fades out. There’s a sense of adventure in that brief rock section, and it’s pretty exciting.
7. The Flowing Light – Take “Deep Inside You”’s minimalist vocals and guitar set-up and give it “Fear”’s overpowering vocals. He really pushes his voice to the front on this one, but the only other thing in the song is a lightly picked guitar, so it’s a bit much, but sounds quite nice and emotional.
8. Believe – This song is most like “The Summer and the Shade”, with a verse/chorus/bit with the main electric guitar riff. It doesn’t go for that song’s epic, rocky feel, but instead for a gentle, relaxing quality with strings and spacey, looping keyboards, and captures an epic feel that way. It’s another powerful song with an uplifting message, and this and “Summer” really capture Bill Eager’s versatility.
9. Ad Infinitum – The album closes with a bright organ/piano that almost feels like a denouement to “Believe”, and, by extension, an uplifting ending to the album. Which then closes with the real longest fade-out ever. Seriously. This guy likes his fade-outs.

So, yeah, go download it! Sorry this wasn’t a funny read like I usually try to do; I just felt like sharing this with my readers, which is the kind of post I originally intended to do when I started this blog. I might be funnier later. Like now! …

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Um…

So a guy walks into a- Nope, later is not now.