The album kicks off with "What Are You Afraid Of?" which has a somewhat dark vibe, existing at a place on, or near, the edge. There is a sense of urgency, a sense of need, which we hear in the vocals, and also in the music, like we are being pulled toward something beyond our control. In the middle there is a breath, as he repeats, "What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of?" He screams the line that third time. The guitars at times also scream. It is a kind of wild ride. Haven't we all felt like screaming in recent years? That's followed by "Dear Therapist," the album's title track. There is a more playful sense to this one, though even at the beginning, there is the feeling of being zapped, a dose of electricity to our brains, or just to our ears? Or just zapped like an insect by a light? I don't know, but I know we're in for something fun here, as J. Edmond takes a look at modern dating rituals. "We met for coffee on a Thursday again/It was weird, you know, I've been here since ten/Dating apps, they don't work, so I'll play pretend/Swipe left and just forget it then." There is a kind of punk vocal delivery, somewhere between Buzzcocks and Bowie. "Dear therapist, I wanna, I wanna say it was bad/But last night was the best night I ever had."
"Are you dreaming?" J. Edmond asks at the beginning of "Dreams (Ode To Slim)." A valid question these days, right? This song has a heavy, full rock sound. "I've been dreaming for too long/I'm screaming/Well, I miss your voice/I miss your head." Here too we are on the edge, placed in a wild realm, surrounded by sound, the guitars demanding our attention. Some fantastic stuff on guitar. This track contains some voice samples from Brandon "Slim" Polin near the end. Then "Talk (I Suppose I Need To Take A Break)" begins with a good beat, and soon adds a catchy guitar part that has something of a 1960s influence. "Now listen to this kind of symphony inside of my head/It's hard to let it go, the voices tell me I'm dead." And I love how he adds, almost as an afterthought, the word "please" after certain lines. "I need a break/With no fear/Please." This is one of my personal favorites.
For a while, when I'd ask someone how he or she was doing, the response would come, always dripping with sarcasm, "Living the dream." I used to hear it all the time, though only in Los Angeles. And even though it was delivered sarcastically, we are sort of living the dream in this city, right? Even if it wasn't what we expected. What I love here is that there is in fact a dreamy vibe to the guitar work of "Living The Dream," right from the beginning. A different version of this song was released on the We Found Your Things, Stranger EP, released digitally in March. That version featured just vocals and guitar. This one has quite a different vibe, with electric guitar, bass, drums. "It's hard sometimes, living the dream/Well, she screams/It's hard sometimes/And I know there's hell to pay." That's followed by "Listen In Now." There is a cool growl in J. Edmond's voice at moments, while other times there is a smoother aspect to his delivery. It's an intriguing vocal performance. This track also contains a good bass line. "Listen in now/To a sad song created in a cell."
"Some Way" has a gentler, sweeter vibe as it starts, the way it eases in with some pretty work on guitar. "All this isolation around/But we're all related/Get your head in/Where are you hiding." There is a positive bent to this one. "We'll all pay our dues/By the end of the day/But we'll figure it out/Some way, some way." Music is what makes me hopeful. This is one of the tracks that A. Michael Collins plays drums on, and he delivers some really nice work. And Danny Henry adds some good work on keys. This song was included on J. Edmond's 2025 EP Isolated Dew. "Search Lights" is another track that A. Michael Collins drums on, and this one he also co-wrote with J. Edmond (and he plays bass on it). It comes on with a strong force, and features Tommy Hayes on saxophone. I especially love that lead in the second half. There is a 1980s flavor to this one, and an energy. "Nothing to lose/Stay the course/It's time to defuse." This song was also included on J. Edmond's Isolated Dew.
"See There" is the last of the tracks to feature Michael Collins on drums. "Sometimes I want to feel it out/Sometimes I want to pack it in." And then J. Edmond raises his voice, a call with a need to be heard. "Someone tell me what will I see there." There are some cool touches on guitar, but it is J. Edmond's vocal performance that is what makes this track so captivating. "See There" is followed by "Tie Back Beginnings." There is something catchy about this one as it begins, and it features some excellent bass work. Again, we hear a great need in his voice. "Someone tell me where I'm to be." The album concludes with "Never A Chance," which contains some wonderful guitar work and strong vocals. "You, you've forgotten how to breathe."
CD Track List
- What Are You Afraid Of?
- Dear Therapist
- Dreams (Ode To Slim)
- Talk (I Suppose I Need To Take A Break)
- Living The Dream
- Listen In Now
- Some Way
- Search Lights
- See There
- Tie Back Beginnings
- Never A Chance
Dear Therapist...What's Eating J. Edmond? was released on October 23, 2026.
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