Review Summary: I feel much better
Marietta is a wildcard in the emo scene. In 2013, they released their first album titled Summer Death which ended up being a surprisingly good emo album. Two years went by and Marietta's loyal fanbase patiently waited for a new release from the band. As It Were marks the long awaited sophomore album from this emo four-piece, and it is precisely what everyone has been longing for.
As It Were begins with the one and only single from the album, Pony Up!!, and this song establishes itself as the catchiest track. The roaring yet twinkly guitars burst through and the lead singer's voice follows them with the lyrics, "Come on, come on" almost as if he is begging the listener to join him on this album's sad yet exciting journey. Melancholic lyrics such as "I wish I could sleep until the day is done" are very prominent on this album as they were on Summer Death, yet they are clever enough to not sound overdone and forced. The album contains familiar qualities that fans of Summer Death would recognize, such as catchy, singalongy, group vocals and the classic twinkly guitars. Yet, As It Were shows a growth within this young band as it displays wonderful lyrics and darker instrumentals, straying away from the usual fun yet emotional songs the band is so used to making.
Two songs that stick out on this album are the two acoustic songs Brains and Ilai, Eli, A Lie. The latter (which is a reference to Bright Eyes' song Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh) is structured as a short little round that proves to be interesting but nothing too special. The former, however, is a lot more somber and is an incredibly brilliant song both lyrically and musically. The lyrics are polished and mature with lines such as, "Maybe I'm just ancient to all of my friends, or maybe I'm just making things up". The song itself deals with the ever-so present theme of growing up and moving on that so many emo albums hit on so well.
There are also many standout tracks that pop out because of how well done they are. Are You Afraid of God? is an exceptional track that is very reminiscent of their older stuff. The most poignant lyrics can be found within this track which are, "Lighting my lighter in my pocket, reminding me that I'm here", and "Am I imaginary or is my voice not loud enough?". Hawaii 5-0 Noseblunt also shines through as a top track. The lyrics again are incredible but the drumming and overall song structure are what make this track truly amazing. Right before the epic breakdown at the end of the song, the chill inducing lyrics are heard within the silence, "And I swear I'm fine...oh God I hope I'm fine".
Certain tracks tend to blend in too well with the rest of the album however. Summer Death was incredibly intriguing and interesting because of the varied song lengths and the many tempo switches within each song. As It Were has a more cohesive feel, yet some songs are too bland to truly standout. With that being said, there are still some amazingly catchy songs. Destination Unknown (Reprise) is a great example of this. Horse Tattoo also has some captivating qualities to it even though it is only for a brief time within the song. United Away was originally a demo song, but the polished version found on this album blows the demo out of the water. My last complaint is that the production value could be a lot better, but the mixing doesn't take away too much from the music so it really isn't too big of an issue.
The last point I want to make about this album is that the samples are incredible, as they were in Summer Death. There's the Jack Black sample that opens up Hawaii 5-0 Noseblunt and then there's the strange yet hilarious sample of God knows what found at the end of No God in New Jersey. With these samples, Marietta proves that they are a fun band that doesn't take themselves too seriously as many bands within this genre do. Because of this and many other elements within the album, As It Were establishes itself as an enjoyable album overall and a step forward within Marietta's career. Marietta accomplishes what many emo bands strive to do with As It Were, proving themselves as one of the better emo revival bands within the scene today.
