I want to really like Emarosa; I feel like they’re on the cusp of something really, really good but don’t quite manage it consistently enough for me to really, really like them. Don’t get me wrong, this new self-titled record is a good one and a step up from the last record. They’ve done a few little things that makes this better – the songs have been trimmed of some of the fat and most now weigh in at four minutes or less. That’s a big thing for me as I felt too many tracks on ‘Relativity’ just drifted along a little bit. There’s none of that this time round.
The record starts off very strongly. ‘A Toast To The Future Kids!’ is a whirlwind of vocals and interesting lead guitar riffs. It’s catchy but not overly so and makes an instant impact. Vocalist Jonny Craig is the band’s real weapon and his voice sounds better than ever on this album. He has the ability to really push his vocals further than most singers, so at times the emotion and passion really shines through. Jonny sounds like a r&b singer on ‘The Game Played Right’ as he flexes his vocal chords in all kinds of directions. ‘Broken Vs The Way We Were Born’ is another good song.
I just feel the band are lacking something which takes them from good to great. It’s not much, just a little ‘x’ factor. A couple of songs pass through without the direction and meaning of a couple of others, but I’m nit-picking really. Nonetheless, I’m pretty sure this album will open new doors for the band and shoot them up the popularity stakes pretty quickly…