Dark Matter

In the explosive opener "Blood Red Sea", Emily kicks her indie folk roots into overdrive with Bad Religion-inspired punk energy. That attitude continues for three more songs until the Cosmos-inspired "Sagan's Song" gives you a chance to recuperate with its haunting, introspective and beautiful downtempo melody and lyrics -- which along with the preceding track "Our Own Moon" serves to paint a deeply contemplative portrait of her irreligious soul searching. The second half of the album takes on a more personal direction, highlighted by "Empty City" and the following track "This Scene I'm Seeing Nightly" -- a melancholic duo with incredibly satisfying use of melody and pacing. Finally, the album comes to a close with "Seasons", a somber acoustic reflection on the transience of life and a reminder that everything must (eventually) cease. Even this review.