Emeralds’ soldering of vintage synths, atmospheric guitar work, and needling percussion here feel like short-lived soundtracks to pink-hued skylines, mercury coastlines, and neon-glazed cityscapes.
Just to Feel Anything is the sound of a band moving forward whilst holding on to the elements that make them special.
Despite its seeming confidence, Just To Feel Anything is at its core a transitional record, and for that reason it might be regarded with uncertainty and perhaps even disdain by some of Emeralds’ longtime fans.
There’s much to recommend Just To Feel Anything and while, as with all retro-leaning instrumental rock, the question of its exact purpose is perhaps a little hard to answer.
Innovation may have been forsaken for a redefinition in sound, but Emeralds are undeniably at the vanguard of a musical style that is definitively their own.
Rather than dismiss Just to Feel Anything as a mistake, perhaps it's better to think of it as a mixed detour, one that some of the band's followers might in fact welcome.
After revisiting this I found the album to be much better than my impressions of it were at the time of release - it's their most 'songful' and getting closer to post-rock.
I appreciate this effort in light of its place in their discog now.