Empires
Orphan
Reviewed by: Jordy Lyric
The first thing I noticed about Empires’ Orphan LP is the uniqueness of the vocals. When they came in, I found myself taken aback by the sturdiness and beauty. In a world where most singers in a particular genre sound the same, Empires already stands out.
The songs are smooth and introspective, but catchy enough to tap your toes to. I feel the soul and intent in this album, and rather than a carbon copy of the genre basics, it combines a Killers-like soulfulness with a snappy beat. The songs are reflective, artsy, and dark, but accessible and catchy as well, which makes for an interesting listen.
By the time the third track, “Hostage”, rolls around, I can hear that Killers influence even more profoundly, but those vocals…they take dark, reflective lyrics and, while stylistically similar to Brandon Flowers’, they shine with uniqueness when put against the instrumentals.
Earnest guitars matched with upbeat drums make even the saddest subject matter into a party song, which, to me, creates an accessibility and sympathy that many bands can’t nail without falling to clichés. But, Empires pulls it off very well.
I’m a huge fan of fifth track, “Honeyblood”. The vocals maintain their smoothness, but the urgency increases, and I feel it myself. It’s exciting. The rest of the album seems more rambunctious and bold from there on out, and I feel as if that shift made the band that much more interesting and personal. Though the following track is softer, I still feel that climactic energy, although by the end of “Lifers”, the album has transitioned into an even more fun and danceable creation. Tracks like “Please Don’t Tell My Lover” and “Stay Lonely” support my point, and with an air of Franz Ferdinand instrumental influence and the newly heightened vocals, I find myself entranced.
Things cool down a little bit more on track ten, “Glow”, but even then, they swell again musically. It’s a really solid song that I, as a musician myself, really appreciated. The album ends with “Journey Kid”, a great finale that gives the album longevity, ties it together nicely, and leaves me anticipating the next release so that we can continue on this journey.
Altogether, the unique vocals and their incredible dynamic with the snappier, more upbeat instrumentals are what made me so interested in this album when it began. However, my biggest takeaway was the perfect arrangement. I feel like it was a journey and the vocals reflected that. The cleaner start, the climactic middle, and the slight calm-down at the end reminisce the rising action, climax, and falling action of a great novel, and the album was definitely a story in that regard. Arrangements like this are few and far between, and I appreciated that.
All in all, I one hundred percent recommend listening to this album. It’s unique, it’s arranged incredibly well, and the dynamics of dark and light, fun and serious, and dance and balladry are so interesting. Very, very well done.
Rating: Bad-Ass
