What It Takes To Move Forward // Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)

This album is beautifully presented from top to bottom. It’s the first thick album booklet that I have seen in a long time. A photo accompanies every song, and they all have a nice filmy feel. The album took two years to record, and “is a living and breathing document.” It’s no wonder that this entire album has a very nostalgic feel… it is nostalgic. It’s a shame because this album’s standout tracks and its forgettable songs had me torn between a 3 and a 4, so if it hadn’t been for those few songs, this would definitely have been a 4.

“How To Make Love Stay”
Every single line in this song is perfectly written lyrically, and vocally, I can’t imagine any other way I’d want to hear those words. So cryptic, yet so easy to relate to. But I actually did breathe a deep breath and a sigh of relief when the song ended. From the very first discordant yet so very melodic note of the guitar, this song depressed me. The vocals just added more pressure on my chest and the chorus just gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. The drums come in at the perfect time, along with the bass and they create a nice beat that pushes you along.  I already love this album if the rest of it sounds like this. It slows back down at just the right moment, and when you think the song is going to end, it comes back with just a little bit of renewed energy in its bassline and subtle drum accents.

“city lights graced interstates, the way you move your hands through your hair when you feel alone. remember the flowers you picked when we crossed over madison? you were so sure you found yourself that you branded it into an oak- the one you swore reached through the sky and swallowed the city line. you had yet to hit twenty-three (an age that would swallow you). then, every breath made you confess you did not know what to do with your hands. this is a new side of you- so full of fear.”

“Keep What You Have Built Here”
Jumps right in with energy that you don’t expect and it sort of wakes you up from the slow melody of the previous song. Frantic, energetic, I feel like I am late for something really important. “but you turned all the words from my mouth into doubt. and I wish I could tear your heart out!” This is such a beautifully tragic song, with an uncharacteristically fun guitar riff . The slower melodies are preferred in this song. I also like the little bits of piano here and there. I love the harmonies that Keith and Cathy sing together, but the high notes are a little bit whiny and grating.

“What Safe Means”
I immediately fell in love with these lyrics, “you fell into uneasy sleep, a subtle hint that things were changing,” even though they are incredibly sad. Lovely beat. Very dramatic sound. This song, just like the rest of the album, has a great mix of fast and slow, quiet and loud. I’m glad that the end of the song has hopeful lyrics that bring the song to a good conclusion. I like that both guitars play notes, not chords, it adds an intricate and delicate sound to the album. I like this album so far for its introspective qualities…I feel like I could listen to it in a field in the middle of nowhere and find a lot about myself that I didn’t know. (Note to self: do that.)

“It Happened Because You Left”
This is another song that surprises you with its energy. It’s like Empire! Empire! has only two speeds, sleepy and energetic. Of course, there are variations on the sleepy speed, sleepy with full band, sleepy solo, etc. “It Happened Because You Left” is half energetic and half sleepy with full band. I love the question posed at the end of the lyrics,  “‘who will you be when you come back’ or even, ‘will you come back?’” Haven’t we all felt that way at one point or another? The bass line on this song is a killer.

“Rally The Troops! Poke Holes In their Defenses! Line Our Coffers With Their Coffins”
Musically, this is my favorite song so far on the album. I really like the sound of it, and the lyrics are great too. “it flew out of your mouth, ‘you can drive me anywhere- just drive me anywhere but here.’” This album is really good at reminding me of experiences I’ve had since jr. high and high school without sounding like something I would have listened to when I was younger. The ending drums sound a lot like Blink-182′s “Feeling This.”

“It’s A Plague, And You’re Invited”
There are guest vocals by Dj Degennaro on this song, and he sounds surprisingly like Keith Latinen if he had an edge to his voice. So far, this song is my least favorite, both lyrically and musically. It’s definitely another song that surprises you with energy right out of the gate but still has some soft vocals and has its soft moments. However, this song kind of ruins the mood that “Rally The Troops…” established, and it is sort of awkward. This song is very forgettable, and it’s very repetitive, but the ending guitar riff is pleasant.

“Everything Is Connected And Everything Matters (A Temporary Solution To A Permanent Problem)”
I wish this song had come after “Rally The Troops…” because it fits the mood so much better. Very sleepy guitar sound in the beginning, something which Empire! Empire! excels at. I also love how the drums seem more like an accent than a driving force. The guitars from the middle of the song on sound a lot like wind chimes to me, blowing in the wind. “you gorged yourself on Frost and Hemingway.” Some of my favorite lyrics on the album, but I am pretty sure I’ve said that about every song…

“The Next Step To Regaining Control”
With a 1:45 without lyrics, this felt like it was going to be an interlude, but then the vocals started, and I love the vocal melody of the line “you would not match my stride and cried ‘foul! foul! how could you expect me to care about somebody else?” This song is sort of like a combination of all the highs and lows of the album, and the soft moments along with the faster moments. The guitar around 4:13 is just beautiful, especially the perfect way they work so effortlessly together.

“With Your Greatest Fears Realized, You Will Not Be Comforted”
This is one of my least favourite songs musically, although I love the vocals and the lyrics. I guess I just don’t appreciate the sound of a banjo, but it is kind of grating. I think if this were played on an acoustic guitar, I would love it. “You wore the saddest smile that never fit quite right. your mother’s smile felt that way too” beautifully sad, something that, again, Empire! Empire! seems to master.

“I Am A Snail, And You Are A Pace I Cannot Match”
“I tried (i tried, i tried, i tried) to keep the awful things at bay from you.” I love the melody of that line. I love the harmonies when Keith sings over himself. This is the most lyric heavy song on the album, but it’s also the most forgettable…I can’t remember how it goes even when it’s just ended. I also realized that in this entire review I have failed to mention Cathy Latinen, who plays guitar on almost every song on the album. She has a consistent and recognizable sound that I love.

“An Idea Is A Greater Monument Than A Cathedral”
Probably the most dramatic sounding song on the album, as well as some of the most interesting guitar lines in the song. It’s another painfully, beautifully sad song, with great guest vocals by Matt Agrella, someone I would like to hear more of in the future. This may even be the saddest song on the album, and it makes up for the two songs before it, because this song is smooth, interesting, and memorable.