Music Review: The Edge of Daybreak, Eyes of Love

By Tyler Hodg

The apocryphal story of The Edge of Daybreak’s 1979 album, Eyes of Love, is one worth telling. Recorded in a Virginia penitentiary, the band was comprised of inmates—who committed crimes ranging from assault to armed robbery—all with a common love for soul music. The tapes were shipped out to a local record company who released the music to those on the outside. Eyes of Love wasn’t a massive success by any means, but its mythological presence is intriguing nonetheless. Thanks to a re-release, The Edge of Daybreak’s music lives on.

It’s quite surprising that these inmates had access to such quality equipment; Eyes of Love is of fairly high-fidelity quality. There is a unique rawness about the sound that makes the recordings a perfect representation of the musicians who made it.

As for the songs themselves, most of them are well-written, with “Let’s Be Friends,” “Your Destiny,” and “Our Love” being the most noteworthy. All of the tracks included on Eyes of Love feature a positive vibe, and are totally danceable—which are attractive attributes to have when classified as soul music. Additionally, there is a decent mixture of upbeat, funk-fusion songs and slow-tempo, love songs.

The album’s cover art is simplistic, but it’s not exactly for the best. The literal cover features a man looking at what appears to be a naturalistic scene from behind bars. The likeness to the band’s situation at the time comes off as lethargic rather than poetic. A black and white scheme was used, which only adds to its unimaginative state.

The Edge of Daybreak disbanded as the members received parole, making Eyes of Love the only release from the group. Fortunately, the chemistry the musicians had with each other resulted in quality soul music that stands the test of time, albeit only for one album. While not good enough to be considered alongside the elites of the genre, The Edge of Daybreak’s Eyes of Love is still a solid release with good songs and a fantastic lore.

Eyes of Love will be released by Numero Group on October 16.