Beyond the Emerald Necklace

Slowly but surely the cloak of invisibility is being lifted from the truth at the heart of Emeralds. This wonderful short feature from Vice/VBS.tv tracks the bands from their inner synth-pimped lairs out to the inspirational valley which inspired the trio's name. It's a "heavy zone," indeed. Great to see Emerald's Teutonic ascension as something humbling to the band rather than an excuse to start purporting ego and lay claim to their deserved domination of new psychedelia. Instead they still sound hungry, reaching beyond through advanced compositions and less unhinged jam -- though in the live show it's "different every time." Emeralds probably wouldn't be as special were they a band who were never (somewhat) anonymous -- or always touring two-bits for mercy applause and free beer -- instead they still experiment endlessly, headphones intact, and prefer the festivals of Europe where they might actually learn something. That said, an expansive, multi-media, headlining tour is now in order.