In 2019, Emarosa underwent a brave shift from the harder, alternative scene to a dreamy, pop synth-wave sound with Peach Club. The album garnered lots of attention which led to a sold-out, nationwide tour. Vocalist Bradley Scott and guitarist ER White proved the revamp worked and the duo has returned with a sophomore album to that shift, titled Sting (Out of Line)
Sting starts off strong with the album’s single, ‘Preach’. Pitted against Peach Club’s opener of ‘Givin’ Up’, ‘Preach’ has been pushed even further into the eighties revival. The chorus “Honey you ain’t got to, Preach to me” is the hook that sinks its teeth in and won’t let go. ‘Attention’ showcases Scott’s vocal range and has a sprinkle of the grit and glam found in Peach Club. Following, the plucky and mellow ‘Stay’ keeps the pace and crashes into a powerful chorus.
However, the softer, melancholic spin of the 1980s revival marches on through songs ‘Cinnamon’, ‘Forgiveness’, and ‘Inla’. The collection of regretful, lustful, and pleading songs meld together without much separation of sound to make them stand strongly on their own. There were satisfying pops of guitar, or a lone, soaring vocal punch, however, there were too many similar instrumental compositions, and not enough personality and diversity shined through.
‘Again’ kicks off with a fiery sound bite and gives way to their beachy synth-wave sound that led to their initial success with the genre shift. The upbeat song allows Scott to have a bit more fun with vocal phrasing and he visits his deeper range. This serves as an appetizer to help satiate the hunger left by the aforementioned songs. Crashing drums introduces ‘Woman’ but it soon returns to the softer side by warning a willing lover of pain, disappointment, and emotional unavailability. “To tell you the truth I’m just somebody to use, So you can take it or leave it, baby. But you are not the woman for me, and to tell you the truth, You’re just somebody to lose, So you can take it or leave it, baby, but you are not the woman for me”.
‘Rush’ jumps straight out of the gate unbridled. Scott’s punchy vocals bring us right to the table for the feast and the “sway-ability” finally allows the listener to bite into a meatier song reminiscent of Peach Club’s ‘Cautious’. A quintessential eighties movie slow-dance track ‘Danger’ closes out Sting. The ‘locked-eyes-with-a-beautiful-stranger-but-nothing-will-happen’ desire and daydream is a soft landing, and the final track flickers out with smooth saxophone and breathy, repeated lyrics “One more time, just one night…”
Overall, the album leans a bit too heavily on and crawls even further into their revamped Synthwave, the eighties sound. In moments, Scott’s vocals blended too much and were too soft and mellow being paired with an already mellow track. Artist’s are either condemned for staying too similar or for straying too far from their original sound, however, had the duo toed the line a touch more to make Sting really pack a punch, possibly with a new genre component, more than capable vocal acrobatics, or lyrical/instrumental juxtaposition, it could’ve rivaled Peach Club. The listener is still left a touch hungry.
Buy the album here:
7 / 10
JESSIE FRARY