Emotion enthusiasts Emery are back with a third installment on Tooth and Nail Records, the long awaited full-length I’m Only A Man.
In true Emery fashion, each track is a tale of lives past; specific and relatable. It’s so easy to tell that the lyrics are three minute snapshots of an important time in the life of each band member.
Slightly straying away from purely clean vocals and experimenting with strain, screams and synthesizers, I’m Only A Man is everything expected from an Emery album, with a few twists to make this effort welcome. The one thing that has not changed (and hopefully never will) is the dual vocals and bass (yes, two bassists) of Devin Shelton and Toby Morrell.
This mature band of Christian gentlemen have taken the Emery name to a new level of excellence with this album. “The Party Song” and “Story About A Man With A Bad Heart” are two tracks that show the state of Emery today and Emery past. In the upbeat “The Party Song,” Emery toys with synth-pop rhythms and catchy lyrics about a kid that just wants to party in spite of everything. In contrast, “Story About A Man With A Bad Heart” seems to be ripped from the pages of the same book The Weak’s End was written. A story of love, bad decisions and self realization, this is the track with the lyrics, “And finally, finally I realize, I realize I am only a man,” and chosen as the album title.
This is a great album of growth for longtime Emery fans and a good album for new listeners to really get into the sound.
In 2 Words: Expectations Met
