Source: See Magazine (Edmonton), May 25-31, 1995

TORONTO TRIO BACK FOR SECOND CUP
The Tea Party
The Edges of Twilight
(EMI)

As much as I respect Mike Ross as a human being and critic, when he wrote that The Tragically Hip were Canada's answer to Pearl Jam, I went ballistic. Then I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he hadn't heard this power trio from Ontario...Okay, fuck the Party/Jam analogy. When I heard Splendor Solis (The Tea Party's last offering), I thought that it sounded as if Robert Plant had driven up to the Physical Graffiti sessions, only to find out that he'd been sacked as Led Zeppelin's singer/lyricist and replaced with a Jim Morrison falling that had crawled out of the grave and went through detox. Now imagine this scenario with Morrison falling off the wagon and offering a more sinister and insidious version of himself and you have The Edges of Twilight.
Singer/lead guitarist/co-producer Jeff Martin domiates this album with the eastern influenced drone and gliss of his axe and vox. While the medieval fatalism/romanticism of 'Save Me' still exists, you can slowly feel that it is waning. In its place Martin and co. sink their talons in your flesh and drag you into a swirling vortex of their own personal hell/pergatory/limbo. It seems that the statement being made here is, that all love -- be it pure/platonic/lustful -- will always be unrequented. But, still the heart wants!! Normally, I loathe fawning/obsequiousness/slobering, but...gawd, I love this album/CD/cassette!! I am going on record in saying that this is the best album of 1995/96/97!!
Adrian Lackey

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