Emo is a genre that often gets its name dragged through the mud. While there are artists now classified as emo that are pretty horrendous, it is those artists playing traditional emo that unfortunately are hurt the most. Empire! Empire! (I was a Lonely Estate) is one of those acts lumped in with emo that shouldn't be looked down upon.
The four-piece Michigan outfit offers up two new songs on this 7” release and follow-up to a self-released full-length. The a-side features “Year of the Rabbit.” The song is a mid-tempo number filled with twinkling guitar melodies, placid drumwork, and soft vocal harmonies. I got a definite Death Cab for Cutie vibe from it, but it also reminded of American Football. On the b-side, “IDK, My BFF Jill” ventures into a slightly different territory. The song is a bit faster moving, but the vocals are kind of awkward in the song. They just don't gel as easily as they did on the “Year of the Rabbit.” I don't prefer this song as much as I do the a-side of the 7” and I also think this is my least favorite song I've heard from the band to date. Kind of a shame since the a-side is so good.
