Emblem3 is a hip-hop/reggae/pop band from California. They began gathering attention on the X Factor last year, where they came in 4th place, and have since been signed to Simon Cowell's record label. I have to admit, I did really like them while they were on the show and even went to see them live a few weeks ago. They were fantastic performers and I had hope for their upcoming album, Nothing to Lose. This week, the album came out, and though I was a little nervous that the label they had been signed to would make them a boy band, I went ahead and listened to it anyway.
The album started out with Just For One Day. This one I didn't love. It was like a toned down version of their older songs like Sunset Blvd. and Reason, but it still had some unique style and gave me hope for the rest of the album. Next up was Spaghetti. Though the name itself instantly made me doubt the song, I gave it a chance. But, as it turned out, I was right to doubt it. It was a little ridiculous. The lyrics were silly and while the style that they had somewhat established in the first song was still kind of there, this one wouldn't seem all that out of place on a One Direction album. Next up was XO. This one also had cheesy, silly lyrics but I actually still liked it, as much because the song itself was stronger than the last. There was some interesting phrasing and reggae-ish style in it. It did, however, sound really overproduced - even though they can obviously sing really well, their vocals were heavily filtered. But still I had hope for the rest of the album. Maybe the rest would be more like this one and Just For One Day.
Unfortunately, it seems I should not have gotten my hopes up, as after listening to the rest, it was obvious that XO was the best new song. Next up on the album was Girl Next Door. Just like Spaghetti, the title was not deceiving. This song had absolutely nothing in it that separates it from a One Direction song, except maybe for some cheesy raps. From here on, the album completely fell apart. The next five songs, 3000 Miles, Nothing To Lose, I Love LA, and Teenage Kings. All of the songs were unbearably poppy with none of the Sublime-esque, unique sound they had in other songs. But worst of all, they took the beloved, the classic, that is Sunset Blvd., and tore apart its perfect fabric until all that was left was a poppy, boyband shred abandoned on the floor.
Ok, that may have been slightly dramatic. But they did remove nearly all of the real instruments and change the phrasing in some areas, taken the song that convinced me and many other people across the country to vote for them all through the X Factor and turned it into just another silly summer song. Things were looking up again at One Day, their version Matisyahu's song. This one I liked since they changed it a lot from the original version, making it sound much for their style, but like XO, it sounded really overproduced, but with the next songs, Do It All Again and I Wish, everything went back to the way the previous songs had been. The album closed out with two live songs, Jaiden and Reason. Jaiden, though it was super cheesy, wasn't exactly bad, it just wasn't great, though I do have to admit it is a total guilty pleasure song. Reason, being the only older song of theirs that made the album untouched, was hands-down the best on the album.
I would totally recommend seeing them in concert. They're really fun, great singers, fantastic on stage, and really nice and humble. But the album definitely isn't worth the money. I think that they are signed to a bad record label and I don't doubt that when they're on their own again they will write better songs. The only question is whether or not anyone will be able to take them seriously. I don't doubt they probably have already lost most of their older crowd and have probably have grown more popular with younger teens, and with a line of merch already being sold at the teen store Delia's, I may be the only one listening to their new albums in five or six years
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