The Inside EP
by
Chris Rozwod
Under the flood of today’s emerging musical acts, finding the cool composure of a talented lyricist mixed with the classy song-writing of a skilled musician can prove to be a difficult task. My Anodyne with “The Inside EP” (2007) serves this exact blend. Chris Rozwod (Malinger, ex-Archer Avenue) returns to the scene with an album whose lyrics can both capture and haunt, and song-writing that can drag the listener up unforgettable crescendos and drop them into epic chasms.
My Anodyne begins “The Inside EP” with the evocative voice of a man pondering whether he has been “holding on too tight” to what has long been “in [his] sight.” In a voice that sends shivers down the spine, he expresses the difficulty of letting go when “we all have demons that make us much too afraid.” Just as the melody settles the listener into a deep haunt, the music explodes into the chorus where Rozwod truly dazzles and captures the beholder. Before long, the intensity is too much. The background guitar enters to unwind the chorus, saving the listener from the beautifully delivered lines, “What’s left to lose? I haven’t been alive for some time and I don’t really care to try.” As the melody of the guitar undertakes the bold task of bringing the song back to a peaceful end, it is already obvious that the remainder of the EP will be an unforgettable adventure.
In the past, Rozwod’s music (The Rise and Fall, The Malinger EP) has incited themes of patience and waiting, but according to the new EP’s “Over It,” Rozwod has moved on to newer ideas. He simply states: “I’ll never wait again, I’m over it.” With renewed focus, My Anodyne “deals with the uncertainty of the future, with what lies ahead and whether it will be a bright day.” For Rozwod, writing his first solo album has proven to be much more personal. “A lot of it was just me trying to figure out what I believe is right and wrong, thinking about the future.” Resolved to embrace the uncertainty ahead, My Anodyne is an up-and-coming artist that will most certainly have a bright future. Be sure to check out “The Inside EP” and catch a concert on one of the Summer 2007 tours.
