Emery- ...In Shallow Seas We Sail

Last October, Emery fans were blown away by yet another great effort in EP form entitled While Broken Hearts Prevail.... Every song was a great addition to an Emery fan's collection, but only seven songs was not enough. Emery's fifth studio album, ...In Shallow Seas We Sail will certainly crave our appetites and live up to the expectations delivered to us by the EP.

Emery's style is something that draws in so many fans. They're not your typical Christian rock band. Mixing heavy screamo with melodic harmonies and having such interesting lyrics sets them apart from those who prefer to do the same thing over and over. In fact, Emery addressed their fans about their style in the booklet of their EP, saying that "We do appreciate you guys SO FREAKING MUCH, but we can't accept being labeled and kept in a box. That's selling out: writing "Walls" fifty different ways so we can pick up a paycheck." And Emery does a great job at keeping things diverse. The opening track and the first single off the album, "Cutthroat Collapse" demonstrates this perfectly. The screamo opening with heavy guitars and insane drums quickly moves to a slower verse that still keeps it hard, and then moves into the chaotic chorus that actually sounds very well put together. The next verse slows it down again, and after the chorus, moves back to more screamo, giving fans a taste of everything that Emery is--all in one song.

"Curbside Goodbye" has a very beautiful chorus and exhibits Toby's vocals in very good light. "Inside Our Skin" gives us quick glimpses at Emery with acoustic guitars. It's very catchy, and it would've been nice if they'd kept it throughout the whole song, as it is much harder in a few places. The lyrics of the song are very meaningful, and definitely add to what the heaviness takes away. It just would've made sense and matched the idea of the song so much more if the whole thing had that acoustic feel. "Churches and Serial Killers" is an interesting song to say the least, opening with violins, and having little bit of a creepy feeling throughout. The words are, again, very well written, and display Emery's talent perfectly. "The Butcher's Mouth" is sure to be a fan favorite with everything that Emery is combined. The title track for the album is a bit more laid back and melodic with deep lyrics that set the concept that vaguely runs through the entire album. "The Poor and the Prevalent" is a lot like "Cutthroat Collapse" in that its chorus has multiple parts being sung at the same time, but run together beautifully. Some fans may be a little annoyed that two songs from the EP, "The Smile, The Face" and "Edge of the World" are on this album, because, after all they are not new songs. They're great songs, but was it really necessary to include them a second time? "A Sin To Hold On To" has very honest lyrics that talk about sexual temptation. The next song, "Piggy Bank Lies" is an okay song, but it's certainly not the best. "Dear Death Part 1" is a really short song that never really takes off into anything really good. Toby ends the song singing in what sounds like Italian, and sounds very interesting coming from Emery. The album closer, "Dear Death Part 2" is a great way to end things. It sounds very punk-ish, and is extremely fun. It would be a great song to dance to, live.

...In Shallow Seas We Sail will please anyone that likes Emery. For fans of the EP this is a must-buy. For those new to Emery, this is a great representation of who they are--an extremely talented rock band that you can trust to make sure things won't ever be too cliche, and have great lyrics and a sound that will make them very popular among Christian and mainstream listeners.