Emery

While Broken Hearts Prevail EP

[4/5]

Emery’s castigation of standard spiritual themes and transparent post-rock noodling have taken on many forms since their inception. It isn’t until this latest release, While Broken Hearts Prevail, that they appear to have balanced the weight of both responsibilities in an ostensibly seamless fashion. The album erupts with the lava-hot "The Smile, The Face," an opus that breaks the less-than-engaging monotony of 2007’s I’m Only A Man with destructive riffs and lion-hearted vocal roars. "Ten Talents" continues the onslaught, volleying vocal dynamics and bleeding pop cadences with lilting post-hardcore lyrical interplay and punishing guitar leads despite the saccharine-dripping refrain of "Love is all we need." It’s the Emery everyone knew would shine through in due time, and it’s the album of their career-even if it’s only an EP. (TOOTH & NAIL) Ryan J. Prado