 | Emanuel and the Fear |
Ambitious and epic. That is really the best way to describe this debut full-length release from NYC band Emanuel and the Fear. They released a self-titled EP last year that got a bit of attention, but subsequent to that they seemingly sequestered themselves away to work on this epic-ass album that they just released on March 9th, and it is something to behold for sure. The band is basically an 11 piece rock orchestra led by Emanuel Ayvas, not sure how the exact breakdown of instruments goes, but they have the traditional guitar, bass, drums with additional piano, strings and horns thrown throughout the album. Put simply, this album is an experience, clocking in at a whopping 68 minutes for 19 tracks (some of which are transitional, but still like 15 songs), one where this new band really went for the gusto and pulled off something really great and impressive, and I have to say I love this album. It is basically like an epic rock/folk/orchestra concept album that musically excels in every direction, and Emanuel Ayvas has shown his and his bands’ substantial talent is more than up to the task.
Their sound is really not easily describable, but they combine kind of 70s prog rock/orchestral rock elements with some lighter and softer, more ballad-y moments in the record. There are songs that sound like Battles, songs that sound like Chicago (the 70s band Chicago), folksy acoustic songs, songs that may even border on sounding like they are from a movie/musical. Everything is fleshed out and developed to the nth degree here.
The weight and emotion in the record is also undeniable. You have all of these bombastic orchestral elements weaving in and out of the story here, but Emanuel’s vocals still carry all of the weight and the gravitas that the songs themselves do and his voice stands up as an equal contender on these very epic, very ambitious arrangements. You can feel all the hope and heartbreak in his voice, even when the rest of the band is at full tilt.
The album begins with a dissonant orchestral tuning up intro then shifts into a two clear prog rock out jams “Guatemala” and “Ariel and the River”, which are both up tempo building songs that get the beat going very quickly and sharply into this adventure here. Then “Jimme’s Song” comes along with the solo whistle intro and simple chorus, weaving in his story of despair and dreams with the catch that “I don’t wanna do nothing but be in a rock band, don’t wanna get a job, don’t wanna be a man, don’t wanna do nothin at all”. An updated take on the everyman’s song, and a great song to boot.
This is where the album begins to push and pull in new directions and really show the myriad of flavors that lie within. The next few songs really delve into 70s piano rock/Chicago territory with “Free Life” and “Dear Friend”, which has the jumpy piano and smooth horns that were staples of that era. Both are great songs which lead into the ballad-ish section.
There are two great ones back to back, “Trucker Lovesong”, which is another song dealing with pedestrian dreams and hopes, a common theme throughout the record, with a rather stilted intro leading into an uplifting outro about getting the hell out of this town and living the dream. “Balcony” takes this the other direction, with love’s hope now love lost and broken and gone, with Emanuel screaming out by the end “What the hell am I doing, what the hell do you care”.
This leads into “Whatever You Do”, another upbeat 70s piano rock kind of jam, another great, great song. The tone of the album turns towards the darkness as the hope and love turns to emptiness and loneliness through “The Raiman”, “Same Way”, “Simple Eyes” and “Song For a Girl”. The first two are great stripped down disparate numbers, while “Simple Eyes” takes on almost a theatrical back and forth between the man and his lady, and “Song For a Girl” caps off the despair that has been lead up to.
The album ends with a swirl with the dramatic return to prog elements in “The Finale”.
The album is expertly done, and for a new band to come out with something so ambitious and interesting to listen to and so well put together and done is incredibly impressive. Albums with this much workmanship and craft in them do not come along every day. Not only are the songs written well, but they are so well arranged and put together.
I could see people seeing the kind of pop rock orchestra nature of the album being a bit of a downside, in that it doesn’t sound ‘indie’ and doesn’t sound lo-fi or anything, but I really don’t buy that, and I don’t really agree. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think you have to admire their taking on such an ambitious project and pulling it off. Regardless of your preference for things that don’t sound really polished, this is just an incredibly well done album and I am still pretty blown away by it.
With ‘Listen’, this band has created an album that has great individual songs and great, skilled performances throughout, but ultimately the album put together as a whole exceeds the sum of its parts by a mile, and the pacing, emotion, effort and craftsmanship here are all top notch. Emanuel Ayvas here has basically tried to create the most over the top rock orchestra concept album you could possibly think of and then make it flow, and make it so incredibly listenable that you can’t put it down. If you need your indie to be lo-fi or folky, then this record may not work for you, but if (like me) you like to see extremely talented musicians take on a herculean task and perform it with flying colors, then this is the record for you.
On another note, it appears that Emanuel Ayvas will be performing several solo shows at SXSW 2010, not really sure if the full band will be joining him for any of those or not, and then the band has lined up a tour of Europe in April. Click here for the band’s website and upcoming show list. Needless to say, if I had a chance to see this spectacle live, I would jump on it in a heartbeat.
BV Rate: 84
Emanuel and the Fear – Jimme’s Song – From Listen
Emanuel and the Fear – Truckers Lovesong – From Listen
