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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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The Emeralds
Talk About Love [EP]
Released: 2004.08.25 (DAKEME-3)
Label: Cranberry Records
Reviewer: Taylor Morris (2005.05.24) |
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Tracklist |
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01 - Talk About Love
02 - Vanilla Girl
03 - Juliet
04 - Blue Bridge
05 - カートコバーンが大好きな女の子 (Kurt Cobain ga Suki na Onna no Ko) |
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Review |
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There can never be enough great punk-inflected rock and roll bands. There certainly aren't that many strong groups in the genre still around (though the Riverboat Gamblers and Cougars do seem to be going strong). It's still always refreshing for a band to simply nail their rhythm section and build some solid songs that have a whole lot of rocking out on them. The Emeralds are a recent band that have started to bring in this weathered and strong aesthetic to their songs, filling a gap in the Japanese scene left by Thee Michelle Gun Elephant's departure and Guitar Wolf's hiatus.
Talk About Love is a little more standard than that lead-in paragraph would give cause to believe. Yes, this is still very grounded in punk and rock and roll simplicity; yes, the rhythm section is still spot-on, not spotty; yes, their strong ability to rock and roll is present even on this, their first release. Unfortunately, the forthcoming Surfing Baby shows just how distinctive and spicily flavored the band can be and by comparison, Talk About Love seems almost flat. Vocalist Kazuya does some scarily accurate Kenichi Asai aping (unfortunately, his guitar playing isn't nearly as unique); he tries to be a dexterous vocalist, as Asai is, but his efforts don't pay off quite as handsomely. Truly, the band as a whole does a terrific job of sounding like Blankey Jet City permanently stuck in overdrive (when they were at their best).
"Talk About Love" is the first track and provides a decent introduction to the band, mostly unremarkable, like the majority of this release, but also full of obvious potential. "Vanilla Girl" is an overly standard rocker bringing terribly little excitement but it is thankfully overshadowed by the terrific drum and bass action on the following track, "Juliet." "Blue Bridge" is easily the strongest song on here, providing some interesting vocal moments (both backing and main) and full rock throughout with all of the band's strongest suits are on display here. "Kurt Cobain ga Suki na Onna no Ko" finishes the album with a long, drawn-out ballad. The band would be wise to avoid this sort of excess on any future releases.
While not terrific all-around, Talk About Love is charming enough and the band has shown a lot of development since its 2004 release. There isn't that much to crow about the band members as individual players, but together there is some remarkable potential. One outstanding flaw from the record was the producer's failure to organize and solidify the sound. If there is one thing a band like this desperately needs, it's cohesion. Irregardless, The Emeralds have mended most of their shortcomings on the terrific Surfing Baby single and it would be wise to pay attention to any upcoming full-length. |
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