Emarosa Band • Page 8

So Slaves is currently only "officially" Jonny Craig and Colin Vieira the bassist... I've heard a rumor from people close to the recording on who the rest of the musicians on that album are, there's only one surprise but it's actually quite unexpected haha.

 

Supposedly Will Swan from DGD and Joe from A Lot Like Birds are co-writers on some of the Slaves album, but they don't actually play on the album. The "surprise" is actually a performer on the album. Cautiously interested in that album now tbh.

 

My interest is peaked

 

I've never listened to Slaves but I listened to Relavitity last night. Just as good as I remembered it being. What a killer album start to finish.

 

Slaves' stuff to date was basically carried entirely by Jonny's voice. Very bland songwriting and musicianship, and only a few standout tracks across two albums. The new album shows SOME promise imo, if only because the teasers I've heard actually show Jonny doing some different vocal melodies, and the potential collaborators could be interesting. Them losing most of their lineup after the last album could end up being a good thing.

(Also I obviously agree about Relativity. If you like the instrumentation on that album, one instrument in particular... you may want to pay attention to the new Slaves stuff *hint hint*)

 

Definitely. Thanks for the info. Obviously Jonny is perfect throughout Relativity but I could very well as listen to a fully instrumental version. Just Another Marionette is one of my favorite tunes ever.

 

So I'm gonna go ahead and assume the person everyone is hinting at is either ER or Jonas? Being that it was posted in the Emarosa thread.

 

I don't want to be hopeful for Slaves. They have like, two songs I like. And I think I like those songs mostly for the guest spots (Vic Fuentes on one, and Tilian on another)... But the musicians working on it make me think this might actually be good.

 

Haha those are also the only two songs by them I really enjoy tbh.

 

Might as well just post it and see if it ends up being true... what I heard is that Lukas Koszewski, the original drummer of Emarosa, is drumming on the new Slaves album. He's a beast drummer and hasn't done anything since Emarosa's Versus, so I'm hoping it's true.

 

I like Lukas and his drumming. I don't like Slaves though haha.

I remember he left Emarosa to become a model?

 

That's funny if true about Lukas given all the shit he's talked about Jonny after Emarosa kicked him out. I guess forgive and forget?

 

I saw a clip of Jonny in the studio with new Slaves music playing in the background and it sounded like the same ol boring chuggy aimless crap that was on the first two albums. Noooo thank you. (on top of Jonny just being a generally bad person of course)

 

Yeah, I'm past the point of caring with him. His voice is solid, but I can't think of anything I've enjoyed musically since... Relativity? Maybe that solo album thing? Slaves is so bland

 

I always thought Jonny was overrated as hell. Aside from a handful of songs between DGD and Relativity- I'm not a fan. His music is bland and a one trick pony in my opinion.

 

IMO he hasn't been good since DBM. Though he did a fantastic job on that record minus the nonsense lyrics. Honestly never really gave Reletivity a fair shake. Really enjoy the Emarosa s/t, but mainly do to the instrumentation.

 

I love all the DGD and Emarosa albums he was involved in, but Slaves for me has been a pretty big miss overall. We'll see if this new album changes that at all.

 

I was actually super down with the first solo album aside from the cringey lyrics

 

Yeah, it's the only good solo thing he's done imo. Mostly because Kris Crummett and the other talented people involved wrote all the music.

 

Yeah the musicianship on that thing is pretty outstanding.

What I Would Give To Be Australian is a fucking jam and a half

 

Such a great song! The Closure in Moscow guys killed it instrumentally on that one.

 

Jonny, just like many mainstream artists, had his best work when it was a collaborative effort to write his lyrics and he was in bands with talented people. He's been on his own with writing since leaving Emarosa, and the solo/slaves stuff was all with mediocre instrumentalists. AND IT SHOWS.

For me, Jonny's best work goes Relativity, DBM, DBM2, Emarosa S/T, The Hearts of Lonely People....and then basically everything else could not exist and that would be A O K. Also, his guest spot on Pueblo Cicada was fuuueeeeggggooo as the kids say.

 

I'd add his first solo album to that list and then otherwise I'd agree with you. The thing all of those albums have in common is like you said, they all have music composed by talented musicians.

 

His first solo album was the beginning of the loss of my interest in him. It showed how much influence the bands previously had on him. He got free reign, thought he had a creative album title when really it makes no sense. The song titles are so abhorrently stupid, and then there were honestly only 2 songs I ever even found re-playable. But that's only me! Opinions are opinions.

 

Most of the album was written by Kris Crummett the producer and other musicians involved, so yeah it definitely wasn't just him. If anything I think the difference between that and his later solo stuff was he worked with weaker people on his more R&B-leaning later stuff. Regardless I do think there's plenty of weaker moments on the first album.