After flirting with synthesizers and smoother textures on 2007's
I'm Only a Man,
Emery returned to a harder sound with
While Broken Hearts Prevail, a seven-song EP that attempted to placate anyone who balked at the previous album's content. Released one year later,
...In Shallow Seas We Sail continues the progress that
Broken Hearts made, allowing some melodic moments to flourish but largely emphasizing the band's hardcore foundation. The result is a fairly competent screamo album, with the band making all the usual stops between hushed melancholia and guttural, scream-filled catharsis. As demonstrated by leadoff track "Cutthroat Courage,"
Emery's dual frontmen have learned to play off each other's strengths, and their use of overlapping, echoing melodies makes for some of the most melodically poignant moments here. While the band has yet to progress as rapidly on the lyrical front, returning fans will likely champion this as
Emery's finest work. ~ Andrew Leahey