Undoubtedly skepticism will initially follow, “Pulse“, the latest solo album from Between The Buried And Me frontman Tommy Giles Rogers. His previous electro-laced outing, “Giles“, was certainly an acquired taste and a creative leap of faith that didn’t exactly sit well with many of his more metal-inclined audience.
In many ways “Giles” felt like the desire to scratch an entirely different itch while alleviating any perceived notions of artistic restraint. “Pulse” on the other hand at its core feels like a passion project. An engaging assembly of emotions and ideas stockpiled over the years as opposed to a rushed collection of songs thrown together in-between album cycles.
Easily the most charming element of “Pulse” that makes it noteworthy is its intrinsic lack of ego. All too often vanity seeps to the surface when a frontman steps out on his own. This is not the case here as the unifying factor to almost every song is an endearing sense of humility.
Aiding this is the organic, near folk-styled songwriting that serves as the foundation for the bulk of the album. This wholly vulnerable approach allows the varying degrees of electronic augmentation and stark haunting keys, etc. to possess far more power.
It’s a delicate balancing act that Rogers oversees with grace and fine attention to detail. Invitingly lush sonic expansion and elements of claustrophobic electroclash-styled ambiance struggle and maneuver for dominance but rarely come to blows. Sure the songs may possess a familiar plot when viewed side by side, but it’s the execution and subtle diverse twists that make them each stand out.
Of course Rogers isn’t entirely able to escape Between The Buried And Me and there are a few prime elements of metallic aggression present on this outing. To be blunt, “Pulse” isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel either as artists like Porcupine Tree have been perfecting a similar progressive hybrid for years.
That said, with “Pulse” Rogers has not only proven himself as a gifted songwriter, but in playing all of the instruments, an extremely talented musician as well.
