Had the chance to get a sneak preview of the new EP the boys in Emery have been working on in between their last couple of tours and, as can be expected, its pretty fucking badass. From what I got a chance to hear in between games of count the dice and slices of Little Caesar’s pizza, the EP seems to be a combination of the eclectic, raw melodicism of their latest full-length, I’m Only a Man, and the more polished sound of their first two records. Dave Powell’s drums sound huge, but not in a Pro-Tooled snapped-to-grid kind of way, with Matt Carter’s guitars leaving plenty of space for the band’s fondness for catchy synth-lines and even catchier vocal melodies. And of course there’s plenty of hootin’ and hollerin’ going on to make sure dudes in the pit can still get their donkey kick on. The band worked one of the new jams into their set last night and if the crowd’s response was any indication, Emery are just getting warmed up. Of course, the geniuses who run the club where the show was held last night, Orangevale’s Club Retro, forgot to turn the A/C on so maybe we were all just suffering from heat stroke.

NOTICE TO TOURING BANDS: If you play Orangevale and don’t play the Boardwalk, you’re seriously blowing it. Nothing against Club Retro but seriously, California in the summer with no A/C is like Minnesota in the winter with no heater. Get a clue. Plus, the Boardwalk has an adult play area where old dudes like me can hide out and sip on booze and not feel like a lecherous pedo. Just sayin…

UPDATE: The EP is going to be titled Broken Hearts Prevail and is set for release September 30th on Tooth and Nail Records. Fuck with it!