3 out of 5

Label: DeSoto

Produced by: Edie Sedgwick

I was okay with it.  Then I hated it.  Then I liked it.  Then I think I landed on being okay with it.

Edie Sedgwick is, for this album, solely Justin Moyer, enthusing over an electronic beat with layers of vocals or other effects fleshing things out.  A manifesto for Edie (named after a- apparently, if you’re a person who knows this stuff which I am not – well-known Andy Warhol hanger-on) appears in the liner notes, making the pitch of the album appreciable: setting aside life’s greater concerns for experiencing life through the viewpoint of TV and film stars.  Hence each song being named after an actor / actress (Tom Hanks, Lucy Liu, etc.).  So “Her Love” bursts out of the gates with a fast beat and Moyer’s peppy chanting, which called to mind the vibrant vocals of Panoply Academy… fitting, as a connection with that band was why I purchased this disc.  The track shuffles by quickly and then we’re onto the next, the slightly punky Christian Slater.  This is primarily what keeps the disc from feeling repetitive – the pace.  Moyer just keeps it going, circling around a pit containing electro elements or mish-mash hardcore like Mindless Self Indulgence or 80s dance influences; nothing overstays its welcome – and always contains a toe-tappable beat or hook (save the penultimate breather of Arnold Schwarzenegger I), and beyond the beats the songs have well-effected layers and flourishes.  Still, I couldn’t get over the feeling that this was all gimmicky, and that same quick pace had me criticizing things for simplicity.  But: after tuning into the lyrics and reading the manifesto, it’s actually interesting how the tracks focus on a particular movie for their inspiration, as opposed to being about this or that actor.  Of course, there’s still a vibe of silly underneath this, and a couple of the tracks are admittedly about the person – like Robert Downey, Jr. – but taking in the whole concept and sitting with the album a bit exposes that it’s a ton more polished than a gimmick, and the songs are pretty catchy to boot.  Plus, that’s where the briefness comes back to save the day: it all happens so quickly you don’t really have the time for any dislike to fester.