Send "Crash Karma " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 For a bunch of guys that have more or less been out of the Canadian mainstream for roughly five to ten years, Crash Karma is a remarkably focused group. Mind you, three of four members were once part of Ontario's most important '90s rock bands (Mike Turner of Our Lady Peace, Edwin Ghazal of I Mother Earth, and Jeff Burrows of The Tea Party), so there is quite a bit of pedigree behind Crash Karma. Perhaps name recognition helped the band's eponymous album to the moderate success it's achieved (particularly around Toronto), but it helps that they're each excellent musicians. And though it feels like Crash Karma lacks an element that made past records like Clumsy or Scenery and Fish so successful, it's a worthy album all the same. On the surface, Crash Karma does very little wrong. It's a solid rock record; there's no shortage of catchy hooks, the production is pristine, Edwin is exceptional behind the mic, and the song selection is wonderful. "Awake" and "Like a Wave" in particular embody the spirit that the band aims for: vocally driven alternative rock that maintains an air of simplicity while still being memorable. It's a good album, there's no doubt about that. But what keeps it from being a great album is its lack of ambition. Crash Karma is a safe album, and although it's a fun listen, there's little aside from Ghazal's distinct voice that sets it apart from other '90s rock records. Each of Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth, and The Tea Party used unique elements that, in part, helped them to stand out among their contemporaries and unfortunately Crash Karma lacks that sort of innovation. That isn't to say that it should incorporate Our Lady Peace's layered guitars, the dark, sometimes exotic sound The Tea Party used to play, or the quirky drumming featured in I Mother Earth records; rather, as a group they have the potential to pen something special and it would be interesting to see them apply it. It isn't so much of a disappointment as it is a missed opportunity, but it's something that can be expanded on in the future....full text |
| Bunalti. |
| The self-titled debut from Torontos Crash Karma – Edwin (ex-I Mother Earth), drummer Jeff Burrows (ex-The Tea Party), guitarist Mike Turner (ex-Our Lady Peace) – is the result of three musicians with multi-platinum pedigrees coming together with one equally skilled musician, Amir Epstein (ex-Zygote), in a curious six-degrees of Amir story...full text |
| Liveinlimbo |
| It's the album I've been waiting on for three years now since this band was announced. Edwin formerly of I Mother Earth, Mike formerly of Our Lady Peace, Jeff Burrows of The Tea Party, and the other guy! As a Canadian alt rock teen on the 90s, this band was a wet dream come true. Yeah, enjoy that visual. quick side note: couldn't they have rounded it out with a former bassist from Econoline Crush? I mean there were like 17 of them So, what happened? The self-titled debut album kicks off with a great build up and gets you ready for a great alt rock album, then it just kinda drops off. If I may, let's backtrack to the 90s for a second. Remember I Mother Earth's songs? Remember I Mother Earth's songs that weren't Not Quite Sonic, Rain Will Fall, Levitate, One More Astronaut, Another Sunday and Used to be Alright? Of course you don't. Why? Because they were drawn out croons over lengthy instrumentals that felt like there would never be a resolve to them. The good news is: Edwin's style hasn't changed much since then. The opening track, Like a Wave starts off with a feeling reminiscent of early 90s Smashing Pumpkins, then falls into Edwin's typical fare of power ballade. And it goes on... and on... and on... The colour-by-numbers, lyrically bankrupt rock ballades that has become Edwin standard plagues the first half of the album and at times teases the line of boring; it's like a dog that wants to run and do something awesome but that darn leash is holding back. The fourth track, Lost, has a good vibe to it, but again it suffers from Edwinism and by the midway point you're really okay with it ending anytime soon. Track five, Fight, begins to pick up the album and it's finally starting to feel like a rock album. From here on out it's smooth sailing as the rock ballades have variety and the rockier tunes actually have drive to them while differentiating themselves from one another. The eighth track, Energy, is one of, if not the, high point of this album in my opinion; it's a progressive rock track with great dynamics, pacing and is just fulfilling to listen to because it feels like Edwin's lyrics finally have some substance while Mike and Jeff have broken off the leash and are giving us what we expect from these veteran rockers....full text |
Crash Karma lyrics
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