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Album Review
by SashaS
18-4-2005
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| Emetrex: 'Wish Me Dead' and life stories |
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Emetrex: 'Wish Me Dead'
(Seriously Groovy)
Emetrex: savoury notes and beauty tunes
Long historical tradition links creativity and madness: in his dialogue ‘Ion’, Plato considers the quasi-divine ‘furor’, the rapture, of a poet. The relative spirit is conceived as a force that comes from without - it was variously imagined as a beautiful woman (the Muse) or a force like wind or fire. It takes possession of the poet; since his (or in the case of Sappho, her) mind is taken over by this force, he is imagined to be temporarily out of his wits.
It is easy to understand how a sustained period of time spent in this enraptured state might come to seem like madness. “Great Wits are sure to madness near allied,” wrote John Dryden, a 17th century poet steeped in the classical tradition. “And thin Partitions do their Bounds divide.”
Plato’s successor Aristotle developed the association by tying it into the medical and psychological theory of ‘humours’, the idea that the human temperament is a compound of four elemental attributes, the darkest yet alluring set of which was called ‘melancholy’. Aristotle’s ideas remained influential for over two millennia.
Someone told me once you don’t have to be mad to be a writer [of any kind, including journalism] but it helps. It also used to be true about music but that now is not a required job-description. Alas, that’s why we don’t have Roky Erickson types anymore around but plenty of artists inspired by traditional Rock’n’Roll with influences proudly displayed on their designer gear.
Not wishing to speculate on Emetrex’s state of mind, the point is that an artist should have a view of the world that is not as common as held with millions others that myriad artists use to voice populist-views… Not specifically eccentric but certainly - misaligned takes on the mediocre world that surround us and strangle creativity [blame it on industry] and innovation [public apathy]. And this lot have these attributes in serious quantities and yet they remain very near the dividing line as they make music that is evocative, moving, enticing, catchy, pop that works like a certain medication.
This Bostonian band’s second album is a well of delight, discovery and dischord, on occasions. Melting in this pot are guitar pop, psychedelia, rock-choruses, guitar solos, huge riffs, groovy rhythms and distorted instrumentation; it should appeal to any indie kid who’s felt that there are no more [tragic] heroes. From humongous ‘Molly Hatchet’ to partner attracting [or heartbreaking - depending on your emo-state] ‘Harsh Kingdom’ that is a sonic pearl.
These eleven songs feature the singles ‘I Think The Sun Makes Me Move’, ‘Hammer In My Skull’ [Link to our review] and ‘Secret Parts’, a trio of songs that are indicative but only offer part of their idiosyncratic tale; there is much more on display among these grooves containing a number of delightful and irresistible tracks.
Emetrex are touring the UK in June and we recommend live immersion into this savoury-noted world… Unless you get so keen, alike us, to attend an in-store sesh at Rough Trade in Covent Garden [tbc].
8/10
SashaS
18-4-2005
Emetrex album 'Wish Me Dead' is released 18 April 2005 by Seriously Groovy
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