Music for People Who Don't Understand Emo
Written: Jun 21 '02 (Updated Jun 21 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: "Crooked Crown" outshines them all.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Some great music, even if you don't understand Emo.
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| JennJoy's Full Review: Your Majesty by The Anniversary |
A few of my past reviews have come about due to this mix Ryan (Officer) sent me. He’s into this whole Emo thing and many of the songs on the mix are considered “emo”—or so I was told. I really dug a song by The Anniversary that he put on there and on his recommendation I bought the band’s second album, “Your Majesty.”
All that I know about Emo wouldn’t fill a sheet of paper, let alone a book because I just don’t get it. Oh, sure, Ryan has explained it to me and I’ve read a lot about the genre online, but I just can’t figure it out. I know Lawrence, Kansas where The Anniversary hail from has apparently produced a bunch of Emo bands. I know that Emo is supposed to be some sort of emotionally charged punk offshoot and I guess that’s where my problem begins.
To me, all true music is emotional. It doesn’t matter whether that music is labeled as punk, metal, country, blues, or whatever. It’s all based on emotion, for the musicians and the listeners. In general, this is my view of music and it is that which elicits a clear emotional response from me that most often grabs my interest.
So, when I first listened to “Your Majesty” I was struck by how much they remind me of a decent 80’s rock band. They’ve got the two jangly guitars and keyboards thing down pat. After listening to the album a few times, I made up my mind that if I had to categorize them it would be as “rock” and not as this obscure “emo” thing that I don’t understand.
The band is a group of five: Josh Berwanger (vocals, guitars), Christian Jankowski (drums), C. Adrianne Pope (vocals, keys), Justin Roelofs (vocals, guitar) and James David (bass). From the looks of their photos in the liner notes, they look young—early twenties at best, but I haven’t been able to find their ages anywhere. However, regardless of my thoughts on their age, the band doesn’t sing about typical “just made it out of my teens” themes like I would have expected them to.
The Anniversary’s music easily moves between languid rock and upbeat pop, particularly in the songs where the keyboards are most prominent. Coming up with clear thoughts about the album as a whole have proved tough nevertheless. There isn’t a bad track in the bunch, but there are a few that really stand out to me. When I say this about other albums, my next statement is usually that, with the exception of those few tracks that stand out, the rest is just mediocre. This isn’t the case with The Anniversary. The tracks that don’t strike me immediately are not mediocre, they are great, but there is just a little something extra special about a few.
The Stand Out Tracks:
The first song, “Sweet Marie” is quite engaging and I love the fact that most members of the band provide vocals at some point. The lone woman in the group, Adrianne, has a lovely voice that nicely offsets that of her male counterparts. The song makes me think of the Counting Crows without some of the “woe is me” whining and I can imagine radio stations picking this up in a heartbeat, even though I’ve not once heard The Anniversary on the radio. Favorite lyrics: What terrible truths drown your soul/She hides behind all of my life.
The second song, “Crooked Crown” is my absolute favorite on the album because it immediately grabbed my attention. Although it starts off as straightforward pop-rock, the sweet, but sexy chorus kicks the song into gear. “Crooked Crown” is really where I get the 80’s rock band impression from, as it seems to be a throwback to that decade’s best music. Favorite lyrics: Oh sugar-why you want to go and start this war? Why you want to go all along? Move your lips pretty darling, oh sugar c’mon! Shake your hips pretty darling, oh sugar c’mon!
“Devil on my Side” takes a different turn by starting out with a simple riff and some futuristic sounding keyboard work. It’s also different from other tracks as Adrianne’s vocals start the track off as opposed to just providing backup and she is significant throughout. The song moves between her vocals with the stripped down sound and the faster, fuller band sound with her as backup. The result is absolutely lovely. Favorite lyrics: The spring has been frozen, the gods have been chosen, they dance in your blood.
I’m in amazement of myself that I can safely say there are only three stand out tracks on “Your Majesty” and yet I enjoy the whole album. I may not understand this whole Emo thing, but I know solid rock music when I hear it! So, The Anniversary will continue to grace my CD player and I will be seeking out their first album when I have the chance. From what I’ve read, I don’t need to tell Emo fans about this album because they likely already know about it. However, if you’re like me and you just don’t get the genre, rest assured that The Anniversary offers up some great rock with pop flair and if that’s interests you, you’ll love “Your Majesty.”
Recommended:
Yes
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JennJoy
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