While Broken Hearts Prevail

Emery is a band  I had to come around on, I can admit that.  That being said however, for those of you who aren't familiar with them, Emery are musical geniuses.  They are so talented and uniquely blend their two singers gorgeous voices (sprinkled with their keyboardist's guttural screams) they have crafted a style that is all their own.  

At the risk of sounding trite the opening song "The Smile, The Face" will bring a smile to the face of any Emery fan, especially after the disappointment that was 2007/2008's I'm Only A Man. In my eyes Emery is back and better than ever.  The breakdown at the 2:10 mark of the song elicits memories of their earlier works.

My favorite song on the CD is called "Ten Talents."  The keys in the intro remind me of bad TV shows from the 1980s (but in a good way), listen and I think you will see what I mean.  The vocals are so emotive, and the song effective demonstrates the amazing range of emotion that Emery can convey.  I really get the feeling that they weren't satisfied with their last album and offered up this wonderful EP as penance.  I can't speak for everyone but I'm back on board.

As always you can listen to this album all the way through for free at www.lala.com.  It is a great website that I use often to find and listen to new music.

Silver Never Sounded So Good

For those of you who don't dig screaming listen up, this one's for you.  The Classic Crime's previous Tooth and Nail release, Albatross, had wonderful moments but it was terribly uneven. It seemed they suffered from not knowing whether or not they wanted to be a heavy band or fodder for top 40 radio. With their new album The Silver Chord they prove that you don't really have to choose, as long as you do all of it well.

The album begins with a gorgeous watery intro that's only a minute and a half long but it's really haunting.  It proves to me that The Classic Crime really hits the mark when they write about pain and loss which happen to be some of my favorite musical themes.  The two best songs on the album are R and R and God and Drugs.  It really gives their singer, Matt MacDonald room to shine.  

As talented as MacDonald is he often takes the easy road lyrically, which is actually extremely frustrating because at times his lyrics are beautiful poetry.  God and Drugs is the stand out track and an example of MacDonald achieving his potential.  The verses float along and pull you in and the chorus does not disappoint.  

The Silver Chord  at first listen comes across as a new guilty pleasure, but feel no guilt, the more you listen the more you will see the soul in the music.

For Fans Of: Anberlin, Emery and the Almost

Old and New

AKISSFORJERSEY is one of my new favorite bands.  Have you ever listened to a young band that showed a lot of promise but they didn't know who they were?  Their first cd was a mess, too many styles and they just tried to do too much.  But I could tell that they just needed a concept, something more tangible to write about than simply girls and whatever else.  They have outdone themselves with Victims.  I would go so far as to say that Victims is a Christian post-hardcore masterpiece and with this album AKISSFORJERSEY defines who they are as a band.

Devices is the first single off of the album and it has everything a hardcore fan could ask for while maintaining a melodic sensibility.  Searing vocals fill the verses with shouts and growls worthy of inner struggle while the chorus's soar with a melody that feels like it is coming straight from heaven.  I know that sounds cheesy but the chorus to devices is one of the most beautiful melodies I have ever heard.  Another high point on the album is Salus Suas Extanderealus Conce, simply a beautiful praise song.  If you aren't a fan of screaming then this is the song for you but be careful, AKISSFORJERSEY is posed to become the new gateway drug for hardcore.  Just a fantastic achievement.

For Fans Of: Underoath, The Glorious Unseen, Haste The Day (New)

One last note, I mentioned in my last post that Emarosa lost it's talent when the lead singer left.  Well just as a preview, that talent is returning August 19th when the debut CD from AGRACEFUL comes out.  This is heavy stuff but if you are into new Underoath and Oh Sleeper, this is the stuff for you. They have two new songs on their myspace: "A Prophecy In Reverie" and "The Messengers Are Winds Pt 1".  Check it out

Emarosa

I can't even tell you how excited I was for this album to come out.  Emarosa put out an EP called "This Is Your Way Out" int 2007 with a different vocalist.  That cd was really heavy but showed so much promise, with the right producer and some growth they could have created a cd that would really impact the music environment.  Well their vocalist left and so went all the talent and originality.  Don't get me wrong, they inherited a fantastic vocalist from Dance Gavin Dance, there is no denying his ability but every song on this record sounds exactly the same. Most of the melodies are stale and the ability to pace an album just isn't there.  

To make matters worse, there is one song that is unbelievably good.  Seriously you should download "Heads or Tails? Real or Not" right now, I don't care who you are you will love it.  The melody in the first 20 seconds of the song is gorgeous and Emarosa are able to sustain that for the length of the song.  However, this song still doesn't atone for the musical atrocities that are present on this cd. It isn't that is really so bad but considering what it could have been they should really get their old singer on the phone.

Overall, I am extremely disappointed in this cd.  Their is no doubting their talent but either a producer led them astray or they just phoned this one in.  

For fans of: Saosin and Circa Survive 

Lowered Expectations...

I know it won't inspire confidence when I tell you that you can stream this album at www.hurley.com, but I feel like it is information worth sharing nonetheless.  I had almost no expectations when it came to Lower Definition's new Ferret release "The Greatest of All Lost Arts," all I knew was that they were touring with Destroy The Runner who happen to hold a special place in my heart.  The first track that I heard from the album is actually the last song, "Namaskar." It begins brooding yet melodic, and grows into a fury of post hardcore aggression while still maintaining the melody and it stays with you all day.

The stand out track for me is "Versus Versace," the first 30 seconds of which makes me feel like I have been thrown into a den of wolves.  But it is their understanding of effective melody that really makes "The Greatest of All Lost Arts" memorable.  The vocalist, Matt Geise has great range and a perfect scream for what they are trying to do and for what appeals to me.  He deftly avoids the temptation to push his high range too often which seems to be the new black in post hardcore. 

I can't say enough about how impressed I am with this effort and it only gets better the more you listen to it.  It probably won't change your life but it might change your mind about the possibilities surrounding post hardcore.

For Fans Of: Circa Survive, Underoath and Akissforjersey