There was a time in the not so distant past where I thought Emery was on the verge of legitimately exploding into the mainstream music consciousness. With a great debut album and a spectacular sophomore effort in tow, the band stumbled a bit with their third album and the fourth falls completely flat.
…In Shallow Seas We Sail is the sound of a band that needs to make some choices. The record is musically all over the map, straying far from Emery’s strengths at times. The album opens with “Cutthroat Collapse,” complete with really annoying screams and awkward screamo vs. emo musical changes. “Curbside Goodbye” is up next and it’s probably the highlight of the album. If you deleted the screaming parts it would be very good as a matter of fact. I used to enjoy Emery’s screaming parts but it’s evident that this is not the same group of guys who made the inaugural duo of albums. Other highlights include the slightly poppier and more introspective nature of “Inside Our Skin” and the encouraging and inspirational sound of “A Sin to Hold On To.” The darker “Edge of the World” stands out here as well.
Overall what really plagues this album is its overly ambitious nature. It’s so thick musically that it sounds disconnected most of the time. Additionally the screaming just doesn’t fit, the band has certainly outgrown this part of their music and trying to return to it really hurts …In Shallow Seas We Sail. Still one of the best live bands of their generation, I’m sure some of these songs will come off better live than they do on the album but I would recommend leaving them to that situation.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
