opinions were like kittens i was giving them away. -modest mouse
there's nothing as something as one. -e. e. cummings
Emily Haines music review
Discuss Emily Haines and all of your favorite musicians in our forums.
Have you heard this album? Give us your rating above, 5 being best.
Emily Haines Knives Don't Have Your Back
Last Gang Records
Emily Haines has a voice as beautiful as her music. The best way to describe this album is as great, meaningful poetry with a beautiful soundtrack. The songs all have a simple profound message, or story. In one way or another you will relate to every song on this album.
Track listing:
01 Our Hell
02 Doctor Blind
03 Crowd Surf Off A Cliff
04 Detective Daughter
05 The Lottery
06 The Maid Needs A Maid
07 Mostly Waving
08 Reading In Bed
09 Nothing & Nowhere
10 The Last Page
11 Winning
The first track outlines something I’ve always suspected; we live in Hell. Our Hell, says “Our Hell is a good life.” Then it says, “We’re moderate, we modernize/ ‘till our Hell is a good life”. The end is as predictable, and perfect as life ending. The third track of the album is called “Crowd Surf off a Cliff”, and it expresses a notion we have all felt. The lyrics are as true as the four noble truths: “Cursed with a love you can’t express. It’s not for a fuck or a kiss. Rather give the world away than wake up lonely.” It is a grim reminder of the life we labor away, and the things we put up with for the small things we consider rewards. It also reminds us, just how rewarding the rewards are, especially after the toil.
The entire album seems like a frank description of just how all life is suffering (the first noble truth), and the origin of this suffering is attachment to transient things (the second noble truth), and the cessation of suffering is attainable through the unmaking of sensual craving (the third noble truth), and finally, the path to the end of suffering is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism). This album should make you want to examine the motives behind the actions, and see if you have an expected outcome; like when you buy your date an expensive dinner. Do you expect something in return, or did you just buy the most expensive meal because you thought they deserved what they wanted because they were a beautiful being?
The sensual craving here is love, or simple companionship, and everybody can relate to wanting someone, but not being able to have them for one reason or another. These truths are delivered through piano driven tracks with string and horn arrangements that will be the sugar that makes the bitter pill easy to swallow. Knives Don’t Have Your Back by Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton is a must listen for anyone with a soft heart.
