…In Shallow Seas We Sail
On June 2nd, Emery’s new album …In Shallow Seas We Sail hits shelves (Click here for Our Interview with Bassist and Vocalist Devin Shelton). Now, I could tell you how Emery delivered on their ever present ability to seamlessly blend hardcore primal screaming with gorgeous melodies and layered harmonies. I could tell you that they took a step back into their The Weak’s End roots, without losing the lessons and maturity that they’ve earned over the years. I could tell you that this album is probably going to end up on my Top 5 List for this year. I actually DID tell you all of that. Those things, however, are not going to be the focus of this review. There is one piece of Emery that I did not mention; a very large piece…
The Lyrics.
These boys have a way with words. Just look at the album title. Do you wonder why it starts with the “…”? (That’s called an ellipsis.) It’s because the EP that preceded it is called While Broken Hearts Prevail. Go ahead and put those two together, and then close your mouth after it falls open in awe of Emery’s word-smithery. Okay, maybe I’m overdoing it a little bit, but it’s hard not to give a huge head nod to the words that are woven into Emery’s music.
Here’s the great thing about being a language artist in the digital world we live in: your fans will use your words as their new motto, and spread your genius to all their friends. In honor of just that, I’m am going to give you one line from every song on this album that is undoubtedly going to end up in Myspace headlines, Facebook statuses, and Twitter updates everywhere.
1 – Cutthroat Collapse
“Under this December sky, I walk away
compromised.”
2 – Inside Our Skin
“We all feel real inside our skin, with
selfish hearts that hide our sin.”
3 – Curbside Goodbyes
“I chose every word that I knew would hurt,
but that was a poor choice at best.”
4 – Twelve And Fading
“There
is a part of me that sees the easy way out. If it doesn’t hurt, then not
another word…”
5 – I’ve Got A Way
“You’re a broken record repeating these
vanities, over and over…”
6 – In Shallow Seas
We Sail
“I fell apart when I fell for you.”
7 – The Poor And The Prevalent
“I’ve got to put a stop to all this. To all this being separated and being cut off…”
8 – The Smile, The Face
“You
rehearsed your lines with rhythmic details, they match the pounding in my
chest”
9 – A Sin To Hold On To
“If you’ve got the time, then I’ve got the
reason for the sin”
10 – Piggy Bank Lies
“If
lies were wealth, you’d need help counting riches from your mouth’s piggy bank”
11 – The Edge Of The World
“My intentions were to never give myself to
anyone… Look what I’ve done”
12 – The Ghost Of You
“Esta noche serás mía.”
13 – Open Hands, Closed Eyes
“Take
a look around, where is your hope found.
Is it the ones you love, or just your bank account…”
And there you have it.
Every song on this album contains, at the VERY LEAST, one line that will be quoted all across the facebook/myspace/twitterverse. You’re impressed (I can tell) and you can’t even hear the music that’s playing behind the words. Combine this with all that awesome stuff I said at the beginning of the review?
Great. Album.
