Jeremiah's Grotto

Item: Exemplar
Author: Ben Mengden

Exemplar

(1999)

Reviewed by Ben Mengden

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Label Screaming Giant RecordsHM Magazine #82March 2000

emo indie rock post-hardcore

This one is a tricky album. The first few songs I loved. Somewhere in it they lost me. So, right off you're thinking that this isn't a good album. Wrong. The first few songs are incredible. Incredible. I wish the whole CD was as good as the first part. Here's why: The first track leads off in this truly elegant four minute instrumental that emo has made a name in doing. The second track we get to hear those whiney vocals that are common in emo bands. Who loves em? I do. The first three songs are really nice. Easy moving with emotional windups. Gotta love the climaxing into overdrive. It sounds too influenced by Sunny Day Real Estate. I'm a sucker for this style though. I think they are executing it fairly well. A new recording would do them more justice. I think there is a lot of potential here. Time will allow them to find their own niche. This isn't sappy poppy. There are some really beefy guitars interposed against some more angelic sounds. It is very Mineral sounding. So immediately my ears perk up. Jeremiah's Grotto vocals are different and tend to the more traditional rock vocals. The drumming is excellent on the album. Pretty tight in the bursts that are common throughout the album. Guitar and bass are really good. I dig the tones and weaving together the layers or changes. Some kind of cool lyrics. I'm thinking these guys will be incredible, maybe sooner than I realize. And I sure love some of their current stuff. But it sounds too much like stuff I've heard other bands do. And time will hopefully allow them the opportunity to refine their sound and the quality of recording that will highlight their already present skills.