The arrangements on former
I Mother Earth singer
Edwin's debut solo album,
Another Spin Around the Sun, make the listener strongly suspect that he's one of the many pop musicians of his generation who has memorized every sound on
the Beatles' Revolver. The deliberate tempos, noisy guitars, filtered vocals, sound effects, and catchy melodies all recall the mid-'60s era of pop/rock exploration encapsulated in
the Beatles' mid-period masterpiece. But that sound has been so pervasive in pop since the early '90s that it's possible
Edwin picked up his traits from one of
the Beatles' successors,
Oasis, say. No matter. The Canadian star made a splash with this album, which gave him four singles at home in the year before it was picked up for American release. But there is little substance under the sizzle. Rather,
Edwin comes off as a second-hand stylist, a new
Corey Hart for the 2000s, to cite his true antecedent. His best hope for Stateside success is "Alive" (already a Canadian hit), an over-the-top anthem that boasts a mid-song cadence borrowed from
Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" topped off with strings and a choir. It's the album's most extreme track, and therefore, given the artist's tendencies, the best-realized. ~ William Ruhlmann