Review Summary: Experimenting with a new sound, Emery seemed to have pulled it off......for the most part. Just get passed the cliche riffs and a couple low points on the album and you have a solid, different sound from Emery.
Ok this is my first review, so please help me with suggestions and comments.
Since 2004, Emery has been a breath of fresh air in the dying genre of post-hardcore. With their 2007 release, "I'm Only A Man", they created a new buzz about them, that wasn't too good. Cries of "sell outs" plauged the band, and a lot of hate from the critics disapointed them. But musically, they took a new direction that upset people, but still worked.
The opening track, "Rock N' Rule" to me is one of the weakest points of the album. Although some creative guitar sounds came out of this song, it was too sporadic and unorganized to be a highlight of the album. Now one thing that always has made Emery great, has been the vocals. Both Toby and Devin have great voices, and when sung in harmony create truly memoriable moments in their songs. (See "Fractions" off of "the Weak's End). A great example of this is the bridge to the second, and most controversial song on the album, "the Party Song". The only reason I say it is controversial, is because some fans felt that Emery sold out with this song. Since when is good song writing selling-out? Yes it is catchy, and radio worthy, but that doesn't mean they have sold out. The third song "World Away" opens up with a riff that sounds like Paramore decided to borrow it for their fourth release "Brand New Eyes" (the name of the song escapes me). "After the Devil Beats His Wife" adds a middle eastern like guitar sound in the bridge, often found in SOAD songs, this song is a strong point in the album.
Now the next song, "Can't Stop the Killer", is easily one of the best songs on the album. The dynamics are slow and building but gives the song a more epic effect. Once it hits the bridge, it utilizes an electronica sound that really adds a fresh perspective into their sound. The lyrics also add a lot to this song. "RUN, RUN, RUN FROM THE MAN WITH THE GUN IN HIS HAND. AND DARLING I WOULD SHOOT YOU, BEFORE I WOULD EVER LET YOU LEAVE.....OH DEAR GOD" is definitely a vocal high point on the album. The next song, "Story of A Man With A Bad Heart" is a good transistory song from "Can't Stop the Killer". It is not the most creative song on the album, but it is definitely a good one. Toby's ending tirade is somewhat haunting and was definitely a good ending to the song.
Song number 7, "Don't Bore Us Get To the Chorus" is by far the best song on the entire album. From the opening operatic chants of "Never gonna go away!" to the very electronic and funky beats of the chorus, to the sessions of screams at the end, this song is the most memorable and the most listenable. "What Makes a Man a Man" is one of the lowest points of the album. It tends to drag on and if anything should be either a few tracks before, or a few after "Don't Bore Us...." because the listener is still really excited from the previous track, only to be let down by this one. The next song however, delivers. "The Movie Song" is a cleverly written sardonic view on the former mistakes of either Toby or Devin(whomever wrote the song). It's got simple but effective riffs, and very poppy chants of "Whoa oh oh" throughout the chorus. Now for the last song "You Think Your Nickel Slick (But I've Got You're Penny Change)". This song is average, its neither awful or mind blowing. The guitar parts have been used on previous songs, and the bridge is nothing new. All in all, I think this song was a bit of a weak one to end it with. It's by no means a bad song though.
Emery experimented with a new sound on this album, and I think they did mostly a good job with it. A few low points on the album may make it unappealing to some, but I think if people would listen to it a few times this is the type of album that will start to grow on you.
Pros:
Lyrics and Vocals
New sounds
"Don't Bore Us, Get To the Chorus"
Cons:
Some overused riffs
Some weak transitions
"Rock N' Rule"
