Joel Edmondson’s debut Invisible Steps sounds like the shopping mall at the end of the world being bulldozed to make way for an eternal sunrise. Far in the distance, neon lumberjacks hulk their way along a desert highway, pursued by lost loves and the beasts of the apocalypse.

Produced with Brisbane wonderkid Stephen Bartlett (Skinny Jean, Mr. Maps) at his Whitehorse Studios bushland retreat, Invisible Steps is a prog-pop masterstroke that takes the confusion and loneliness of our time and gives them the names and shapes of something more hopeful, honest and unexpected. From the reassuring joy of “Change” to the relentless assault of “The Greatest Name” and “Edge of the Road”, Joel Edmondson reminds us that the passing of time has many forgotten futures. Rarely has an artist so idiosyncratically evaded generic comparison while equally displaying his talent for evoking the nostalgic and the strangely familiar. Bowie’s Berlin years find their way into the mind of Cat Stevens to imagine something Lennon and McCartney might have one day agreed to believe together.

Above all, Invisible Steps is a deeply personal revelation of the nature of love, self and existence. Joel’s vocal performance is unashamedly raw and intimate, conveying his unique insight into the human struggle with a barely controlled intensity. This is a debut willing to open its heart should you be willing to open yours too.

Joel Edmondson linksMySpace