Reviewed by Paul Kerslake

Emery are still working on their next album proper, due for release in summer 2009. This EP is a taster of what is to come. The opening track "The Smile, The Face" is a full on assault of the ears, heavy guitars, crashing drums and screamed vocals. But this soon recedes to melodic punk/pop material. This is a great bunch of songs and the contrasting instrumentation, timing and dynamics make for an exciting listen. Without being a "Christian band", "Thoughtlife" is a real curveball of a song, dealing with the pain of a break up. The usual rock setup is traded for keys and acoustic guitars, although still maintaining the drama and excitement. The sleevenotes say that they tried performing "Thoughtlife" as a "loud Emery song", but it didn't work. Well, clearly it does now. This is a really good EP, written while the band were touring their last album 'I'm Only A Man'. With a sleeve sporting a commentary explaining how the songs came about this is an excellent stopgap release.

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