Backing Into The American Dream

Collection Contents

#		Title	Length
1		Caroline Wait	4:37	Play
2		I Don't Want To Be There	3:11	Play
3		Montana	4:21	Play
4		Slow	3:07	Play
5		Warm	3:53	Play
6		Princess Charming	5:06	Play
7		Jennifer's Been Dreaming	5:12	Play
8		Danger Island	3:06	Play
9		Fool Around	3:24	Play
10		Looking for God	4:33	Play
11		Sundays	4:32	Play
12		Mean Machine	6:08	Play
13		Warm (Aromatic Mix)	4:02	Play

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Total	USD $8.30

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Description

Power pop? Jazz rock? Funky blues? Folk rock?

People have a hard time trying to describe Emery's Misery's sound. Take this album, "Backing Into the American Dream". It starts out with a rollicking sea shanty, moves into a fast, jazzy number with Steely Dan overtones, then proceeds to a bluesy homage to Montana followed by a fast Joni Mitchell flavored tune called "Slow". And the rest of the album is similarly diverse. But with all the stylistic gyrations, Emery's Misery has a consistent and identifiable sound. Jonathan's warm, clear, melodic voice has been compared to Al Stewart and the Housemartins. Mike's experimental bass work challenges the deceptively simple song structure and Dave's powerful drumming gives these songs a sonic wallop.

The standout track here is "Looking For God." Some reviewers have come away calling them a "Christian Rock" band. Others have heard it and decided they are atheists. It has been called reverent and heretical. But given a careful listen, you'll hear that the song is not trying to preach to you. It asks hard questions but provides a framework for you to consider your own beliefs. All in the context of a very catchy song!

And then listen to "Danger Island", which has been called the most appropriate song written about the 9/11 terrorist attacks yet was amazingly written and recorded months before they occurred. But before you go thinking that they are on some sort of heavy philosophical kick, check out "Warm" a tongue-in-cheek ode to a favorite body part.

Listen to the song samples and you'll get an taste of some of the sonic flavors explored on Backing Into The American Dream.

So who are these guys? Drummer Dave Craig recruited singer/guitarist/songwriter Jonathan Whitcomb and uber-bassist Mike Bates in 1998 and they immediately started forging their own sound. The recipe starts with Jonathan's melodic compositions that draw from many genres (punk to funk, folk to jazz), and stretch out with Mike's jazzy melodic and rhythmic counterpoints. Then Dave adds his rock steady driving undercurrent to keep everything rolling along.

All three musicians have strong backgrounds in "progressive rock" (e.g. Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, King Crimson, Steely Dan) and are experimental in their approach to music. But instead of expressing this with long free form jams ala Phish or the Grateful Dead, Emery's Misery channels their adventurous nature into shorter, more structured songs that are immediately accessible. Rather than displaying their musical chops for their own sake, Emery's Misery focuses on bringing the most out of their songs. So while the songs may adopt a conventional pop/rock format (think XTC, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow), they are delivered with a strong punch and some surprising twists and undercurrents that keep them sounding fresh and interesting after repeated listens.

The result is a sound that is more than a sum of its parts. With lyrical subject matter ranging from the meaning of life to anatomical musings and the obligatory girls and cars anthem, Emery's Misery's sound is compellingly eclectic yet surprisingly coherent. And it's catchy as hell. So no, you can't capture Emery's Misery in a sentence. But if you like music that is smart, melodic, whimsical and a bit unconventional, give Emery's Misery a listen!

Be sure to visit Emery's Misery's web site e-misery.com (click on the link in the column to the left) to check out their 2004 album "Dancing With The Adulteress". It picks up where this album leaves off and takes them into new territory as well.