EMERALDS- solar bridge (hanson, 2008)

My biases are so far reaching when it comes to the thriving ohio noise.exp.drone.etc scene that you could hardly trust any of my statements. I believe that what many of these bands are doing is very special and more importantly- fun. Do some of these dudes take themselves too seriously? Maybe. Do fans and naysayers take this stuff too seriously? Maybe. Are these good reasons not to listen to it? I don't think so. I myself have been guilty of this naked skepticism- and I'm just not sure it matters all that much.

That said, EMERALDS have released what might be one of the best albums of the year with SOLAR BRIDGE on Hanson Records. This is a drone album that entrances and energizes simultaneously. The trio have developed a mastery of layering and looping which to most of us just hasn't been a big deal since the post rock explosion of the late 90's and early 00's. It's where the guys take this mastery thats makes them so special. Making outer space a personal experience is no easy task when you have listeners who don't do psychedelics anymore (like me). Like some humble godsend, EMERALDS emerge from where bands like Yume Bitsu and Surface of Eceon left off. As these youngsters grow and continue to make a name for themselves with killer live shows and increasingly accessible releases like SOLAR BRIDGE, I'm hardly going to have to defend my faith in this odd "genre" of music everyone (including me) so quickly makes conclusions about.