These classy gents.
You may notice that front and center there is one Arthur Darvill (or as the Whovians know him: Rory Williams, Rory the Roman, The Last Centurion, etc). I admit that I decided to check out Edmund because I'm a fan of Mr. Darvill and was curious. What I didn't expect is for them to be good. (I suppose I have an inherent distrust for shaggy-haired hipsters holding acoustic guitars.)
Oh, yes, I'm sure your music is great...
The title of the only Edmund album I could find is "Well Done You." Are there others in existence? I don't know. It's also rather nebulous whether Rory...I mean Arthur...is still a member of Edmund, or even if they're still together at all. Side note: Edmund was named by Mr. Darvill after his favorite character in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Overall, the album features generally upbeat music (with a couple exceptions). The lyrics range from downright maudlin to happy and hopeful. The bridge and coda of each song tends to be more slow and melancholic. The vocals provided by Arthur are very emotive; you can hear the smiles and tears in every line, as if each song was torn from his heart, still bleeding and squirming.
There are ten tracks on this album and I'll give you a short breakdown of each.
Maps + Charts features touching and relatable lyrics laid over an upbeat, poppy tune.
I know your face, even if I never see it again.
Breaking Into Houses has likely the most synthetic effects of any track on the album (aside from perhaps The Control). It contains an arrhythmic synth intro, vocal effects, and electronic sounds followed by a slow, sad piano outro.
I'm tired of watching you watching me try to keep this smile inside; soon I'll burst into a thousand other smiles to cover you.
Hard to Believe is a rather melancholy song. Synth organs provide the bulk of the music, with heart-wrenching vocals.
Did it always feel so bright here? I can hardly see from all your light.
I Am The Chancer sounds similar to a lot of late 90s pop-punk (Attack! Attack! UK was brought to mind). It has a lot more guitar and real drums than many tracks on the album.
I'll take my chances now, 'cuz you took your chances.
Leave This City is another track featuring a synth organ as its main instrument. The lyrics are slow, but very hopeful in tone.
We both know they could never burst our bubble.
After Dark is a rather charming song; its synthy pseudo-music box tones and other electronic sounds give it an atmosphere that's both childish and a little creepy.
With no violence, we sit in silence.
Missing Out is very catchy, with lots of steady drum and rhythmic beats. The keyboard breakdown is very pleasant. Unfortunately, due to the pitch of Arthur's voice during the slower parts of the song and his accent (or my American ear), I couldn't understand all of the lyrics.
And I see you're missin' out.
Running Jump is nearly triumphant in its nihilism. The piano is lovely and the lyrics are passionate.
I've stopped seeing light; I can't look back, even if I tried.
The Control is my favorite song on the album, musically. I'm a big fan of electronic music and The Control takes advantage of very synthy drum and bass, plus keyboard that ranges from low and melodic to upbeat and perky. The coda has some very discordant tone weaving. This is the only time you'll hear Arthur Darvill raise his voice (when he's not defending Amy.)
I'm sorry, but you know that I'm not changing.
Thoughts of Flight is the most catchy and pleasant song on this entire album. Its lyrics are sweet and loving, happy and full of hope. It has all of the elements that made UK pop-punk from the late 90s - early 00s so great.
Could every time I breathe in be every time you breathe out?
"Well Done You" is a wonderful album, all told, with tracks that range from joyful to despondent, from electronic to acoustic. Unlike some bands that try to capture this kind of variety, Edmund hits every beat. I would go so far as to say that there is something that Edmund offers for nearly everyone.
"Well Done You" is available to listen to in its entirety on Spotify, though some of the track quality leaves something to be desired. You can also listen to the individual tracks on Youtube.
Oh, and in case any of you needed more information about Arthur Darvill:
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