Jeremy Aaron
11/13/08, 05:05 PM
Emery - While Broken Hearts Prevail
Record Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Release Date: October 28, 2008
The cover art for the new Emery EP, While Broken Hearts Prevail, depicts a person stranded in the ocean without a raft or lifejacket. That seems to be how many fans felt after the release of Emery's third Tooth and Nail album, I'm Only a Man, which was a disappointment to many. Or perhaps it was meant to portray the alienation felt by the band after the negative fan response I'm Only a Man received following the almost universal adoration heaped upon them for The Weak's End and The Question.
Either way, Emery definitely have something to prove with this record, and if the opening of "The Smile, the Face" is any indication, the band is keenly aware of that fact, as it unleashes with all the fury of the heaviest moments on their debut. The track contains that trademark blend of aggression and melodicism that garnered them so many fans to begin with. "Edge of the World" follows and it doesn't waste any time getting started, hitting immediately with driving guitars, which have a heavier pop-punk feel. It's an unusual opening for an Emery song, but it also comes to showcase all the band's skills, with Toby Morrell's powerful vocals (arguably his best performance on the record), well-placed screams, and an ambient shoegazing bridge.
"Say the Things (You Want)" gets a little on the melodramatic side with the lyric, "You dug the heart out of me / I thought you'd love me but you don't." There's limited use of screaming and musically, it would have fit in well on The Almost's Southern Weather, if not for the spaced-out bridge. With "Ten Talents," Emery try their hand with a screamo power-ballad, if such a thing exists. The melody on the chorus sounds like it could have been written by Diane Warren, but strangely, it works, probably because it sounds unique and different when draped over post-hardcore riffs.
"Always Depends" ventures into synth-pop territory, somewhat similar in feel to some of I'm Only a Man, but with exclusively clean vocals. The synths are a bit overdone, but the track is buoyed by the vocal interplay of Morrell and Devin Shelton, making it a solid tune nonetheless. The choice to forgo screaming carries through the rest of the album and continues with "Thoughtlife," an almost theatrical-sounding piano track, which finds Morrell sounding strangely like Max Bemis at times.
The surprise on the record, for several reasons, is the closer, "Do the Things (You Want)." It's a melodic acoustic number that addresses those fans who "turned on" the band after the last album. In terms of sound, it's one of the more engaging songs Emery has written, but the choice of lyrics was probably inadvisable. There's nothing like pissing off people who were already pissed off at you to begin with. If anything, it would have been a lot better if they had just let the record speak for itself, because it definitely has legs to stand on. It contains all the aspects of the band that fans fell in love with, but doesn't rest on those laurels. The band has shown that they are still the band that recorded The Weak's End and The Question, but they are not just that band. They've shown great progress here (musically, it's their best work overall), and if fans aren't too busy pining for a repeat of the band's early days, they might come to appreciate the band that Emery has become.
A Thorn for Every Heart; Dead Poetic; Scary Kids Scaring Kids; As Cities Burn; The Almost
myspace.com/emery (http://www.myspace.com/emery)
Record Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Release Date: October 28, 2008
The cover art for the new Emery EP, While Broken Hearts Prevail, depicts a person stranded in the ocean without a raft or lifejacket. That seems to be how many fans felt after the release of Emery's third Tooth and Nail album, I'm Only a Man, which was a disappointment to many. Or perhaps it was meant to portray the alienation felt by the band after the negative fan response I'm Only a Man received following the almost universal adoration heaped upon them for The Weak's End and The Question.
Either way, Emery definitely have something to prove with this record, and if the opening of "The Smile, the Face" is any indication, the band is keenly aware of that fact, as it unleashes with all the fury of the heaviest moments on their debut. The track contains that trademark blend of aggression and melodicism that garnered them so many fans to begin with. "Edge of the World" follows and it doesn't waste any time getting started, hitting immediately with driving guitars, which have a heavier pop-punk feel. It's an unusual opening for an Emery song, but it also comes to showcase all the band's skills, with Toby Morrell's powerful vocals (arguably his best performance on the record), well-placed screams, and an ambient shoegazing bridge.
"Say the Things (You Want)" gets a little on the melodramatic side with the lyric, "You dug the heart out of me / I thought you'd love me but you don't." There's limited use of screaming and musically, it would have fit in well on The Almost's Southern Weather, if not for the spaced-out bridge. With "Ten Talents," Emery try their hand with a screamo power-ballad, if such a thing exists. The melody on the chorus sounds like it could have been written by Diane Warren, but strangely, it works, probably because it sounds unique and different when draped over post-hardcore riffs.
"Always Depends" ventures into synth-pop territory, somewhat similar in feel to some of I'm Only a Man, but with exclusively clean vocals. The synths are a bit overdone, but the track is buoyed by the vocal interplay of Morrell and Devin Shelton, making it a solid tune nonetheless. The choice to forgo screaming carries through the rest of the album and continues with "Thoughtlife," an almost theatrical-sounding piano track, which finds Morrell sounding strangely like Max Bemis at times.
The surprise on the record, for several reasons, is the closer, "Do the Things (You Want)." It's a melodic acoustic number that addresses those fans who "turned on" the band after the last album. In terms of sound, it's one of the more engaging songs Emery has written, but the choice of lyrics was probably inadvisable. There's nothing like pissing off people who were already pissed off at you to begin with. If anything, it would have been a lot better if they had just let the record speak for itself, because it definitely has legs to stand on. It contains all the aspects of the band that fans fell in love with, but doesn't rest on those laurels. The band has shown that they are still the band that recorded The Weak's End and The Question, but they are not just that band. They've shown great progress here (musically, it's their best work overall), and if fans aren't too busy pining for a repeat of the band's early days, they might come to appreciate the band that Emery has become.
A Thorn for Every Heart; Dead Poetic; Scary Kids Scaring Kids; As Cities Burn; The Almost
myspace.com/emery (http://www.myspace.com/emery)