Emeralds' name has been on the tongues of bloggers and noise addicts in the know for quite a while now, but, of late, they seem to have encroached on the consciousnesses of a far wider audience. Solar Bridge made plenty of year-end lists in 2008, and rightly so; it was perhaps the first major statement from the group, whose work until then was largely in the form of limited run cassettes or cd-r's. The title of the trio's follow up, What Happened, might be viewed as their reaction to their recent success, as just over a year ago they were still awaiting the release of their "proper" debut, and now find themselves opening for Throbbing Gristle. It's a rapid ascent, to be sure, but if their latest disc is any indication, not an wholly undeserved one, no matter their ages or the hype that buoyed Emeralds' growth.
The presence of synthesizers in Emeralds' music has always been a conspicuous one, but "Alive in the Sea of Information" owes far more to 70s synth fetishists like Tangerine Dream than many of the groups with whom Emeralds typically cavort. Other acts in the noise/experimental underground have adopted analog synths as instruments of choice, of course, but few use them in such a way. Emeralds music isn't exactly retro, but its sound is sometimes of a spectral, other-worldy timbre that, while often too roughly hewn to be called new age, certainly makes heavy use of the spacey psychedelia that marked the early forays of the genre. What Happened packs, perhaps, a bit less of a punch that its predecessor in terms of the overall heft of the sound, but its two opening tracks, the aforementioned "Alice in the Sea of Information" and "Damaged Kids" make for some enjoyable and interesting synth-based mind melting. The rest of the disc's five tracks engage in a simpler means of expression, more heavily reliant on drones and repetition, with fewer flourishes bubbling unexpectedly into the mix. The album takes on a more somber tone, save for a formidably menacing latter half of "Living Room," with the trio moving from the colorful palette of the openers to the grays and blues of the rest of the disc. Emeralds invoke an effective pathos, but by the time the slow swirl of "Disappearing Ink" has come to its close, the earlier spirit of the album is only a memory. The tonal dichotomy isn't severe, but a return to the bright environs of the opening pair of tracks might have lightened the mood toward the disc's conclusion, spreading out the album's best material rather than packing it at the beginning of its duration.
What Happened isn't a jaw-dropper from start to finish, but it is a well-rounded musical statement, a cohesive series of improvisations that, whether moving in a more linear fashion or spiraling into unpredictable musical environs, the trio tackle with an impressive focus. A number of releases loom in Emeralds' near-future, and if this disc, especially its openers, are a sign of things to come, it's going to be a good year for these lads from Cleveland.
