Emery surprised us all earlier this year when they announced their next album, Styrofoam, would be coming this fall. They then surprised us again when they said the album was instead dropping in the summer. They then did it once more by releasing the album early to anyone who purchased a physical copy via their website. That, in a nutshell, is how Emery handles their music.
Styrofoam is technically their first release since signing back with Tooth & Nail Records after a long stint of self-released albums, and I was worried that the band might abandon the fan-first ethic they’ve developed over the past decade. But oh boy was I wrong. As soon as they announced Styrofoam, fans subscribed to their Patreon-style fan club, Emeryland, were able to get a first listen to the album in full – something I was surprised about, considering they were now with a label.
This freedom continued, as mentioned, with switching the release date of the album and then dropping physical copies ahead of its digital release (and giving early access once again). This is something I’ve always loved about Emery, and I’m happy to see that Tooth & Nail is allowing these shenanigans to continue.
Now onto the record itself. This is Emery‘s tenth studio album and, upon first listen, stylistically falls more in line with their I’m Only A Man era. It’s far less post-hardcore, and far more emo-pop with a helping of post-punk thrown in. Kicking off with the album opener, The Revolution is Unity, it’s a slow, purposeful track touching on war and faith, which doesn’t really kick in until almost the two-minute mark. It feels like a strange choice for an opener, if I’m honest.
Following the opener are the tracks Slurry, Stimulated, and Numbers, which throw us right into Emery‘s fun emo-pop and pretty much set the stage for the rest of the album. Styrofoam is a little less raw and much calmer than their last record, Rub Some Dirt On It, and for those expecting screaming breakdowns and big choruses, this album might not be for you.
Some tracks have Toby’s distinct screams, but they don’t quite hit compared to, say, Walls or even You Stole God From Me. Tracks such as Blockbuster Nights have that push and pull of heavy riffs and screams against cleaner, softer phrases, and this sits up there as one of my favourites from the album.
Styrofoam also has, as I mentioned, a heavy post-punk influence in its songwriting, which is an interesting direction for the band. This is most present in the track Dopamine, with the almost Weezer-like chorus and the bouncy pre-chorus “Just let me go, just let me go, Toby / Let me go, just let me go, dad / Let me go, just let me go, mom, please / Let me go before I’m dead”.
One thing that Emery has always done well is the vocal harmonies and the way both Toby and Devin bounce off of each other. That’s absolutely present here in Styrofoam. There are some great, catchy hooks, and the way the two blend vocals will always leave me with chills.
There are elements to this album that are great; there are others that I want to love because I absolutely adore this band, but sadly they fall flat. This is a record that has me split, if I’m completely honest. I’m not disappointed, but I’m not overjoyed, either. I’m just left a little… nonplussed. It has some great parts, but overall it’s definitely low on the list of Emery albums I’d choose to listen to.
Overall, Styrofoam is a mixed bag of great tracks and some that are okay. Despite taking a slightly heavier turn on their last album, this one tones things down slightly to a more emo-pop, post-punk pace.
Score: 6.5/10
Emery released Styrofoam digitally on August 14 via Tooth & Nail Records.