Solo debut from T.S.O.L. guitarist. Some of these songs are over twenty years old, but it flows together quite nicely. Emory’s vocals have a Lou Reed vibe, but the music definitely rocks harder. Mike Roche helps out on a few songs, and Tiny plays drums on the whole release, so the T.S.O.L. feel is present. Some guests contribute—some welcome (Fletcher and Dexter)—and some not (Tim Armstrong and Mark McGrath). But Emory doesn’t need guests to make these songs shine out. “Alone in the Dark” is cool enough to carry the load. The only misstep is the bonus DVD. Although it’s okay to talk about how God saved you from your addictions, there was a little too much Jesus talk for me. I just felt like I was being preached to half the time. But you can buy it without the DVD, so keep that in mind.
–koepenick (Self-released)