Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) – You Will Eventually Be Forgotten

Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) has always been a curious indie/emo project.   The Michigan duo’s love for twinkly, resonant sounds not only rings true in each subsequent release, but also frames the basis of various signings to their other hobby, running Count Your Lucky Stars Records.  But this time around the band has opted to partner with prominent UK indie label Topshelf Records – actions suggesting that the very personal project may be in the early stages of emerging from their niche and reaching out to a broader audience.  If You Will Eventually Be Forgotten is any indication, they have picked the right moment to be ambitious.

Light, fluffy and airy, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) offer up eleven tracks of quaint situational emotionalism.  Each song reads like a page from the scrapbook of a distant stranger’s life – some with minor consequence, but none without lasting personal memory or significance.  At times, songs like “A Keepsake” lead the listener through the minutia of the journey, describing something as ordinary as waking up early for a camping trip with your brother, father and uncle, and finding something as remarkable as a rare Petoskey stone by chance amidst the waters of an unassuming lake.  The weight of cymbal and drum echoes through the lethargic haze of memory, crafted by the soft rhythmic plucking of recurring chords. The lyrics never feel pointed or profound, but the message captivates like a campfire tale motivating listening to lean in closer for full effect. 

It’s also worth noting that You Will Eventually Be Forgotten is best enjoyed with headphones.  The intricacy of each topic results in a soundscape demanding more than casual listening.  Those looking for the next big chorus to tune out and sing along with will be sorely disappointed.  But listeners courageous enough to accompany these characters as passengers in a fatal car crash (“I Was Somewhere Dark, Cold… And Lonely”), an awkward first date to second rate carnivals (“We Are People Here.  Not Just Numbers.”), or to a crowded college dorm room in the junior year of spring semester (“Foxfire”), will leave feeling as if they’ve walked a mile in another’s shoes.  Again, the music seldom jumps out of its hypnotic, emo-inspired dreamgaze, but when it does, biting guitars drive home each narrative peak or emotional outcome. 

While the album doesn’t drag, the framework comes birthed from the same unmistakable cloth.  Closer “The Promise That Life Can Go on No Matter How Bad” hints at how future material could benefit from vocal diversity – perhaps from features guest appearances by likeminded labelmates.  Just imagining the impact that a few lines or choruses contributed by Tanner Jones (You Blew It!) or Justin Gilman (Diamond Youth) excites the mind.  But considering how closely guarded Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) has kept their creative process with Count Your Lucky Stars Records up unto this point, such a move may be premature – but hey, one can dream.

Once again, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) offer up a meaningful addition to their growing body of work.  At this point their minimalist brand of emotional indie unmistakably bares their distinct and heartfelt touch.  The band tells each self-contained story to differing ends but always establishes a tender connection with listeners.  Listeners ambitious enough to put the time in and really embrace You Will Eventually Be Forgotten stand to gain much.  Those too hurried to really listen will be missing out on a rare treat.