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Emeralds, "Fresh Air"
Despite having numerous releases on nearly every format imaginable, this is the first 7" from this Ohio threesome. I was afraid that two sides of a 7" would not give them enough time to generate the intoxicating music that I expect from Emeralds but they have conjured up two beautiful miniatures that encapsulate their long-form compositions without sacrificing any quality.
Side A features a glassy guitar and synth shimmer over a dreamy analogue synth rhythm. As with many of Emeralds’ works, the piece changes ever so slightly over its course (which is definitely on the short side when it comes to this group). Melodies never seem to repeat and even the tempo appears to mutate towards the end. The trio are pushing the sound they explored on last year’s What Happened and they are pushing in the right direction.
Side B is more similar to soundscapes they employed on Solar Bridge and on their many tape releases. Slowly evolving and revolving drones create a deep backdrop for Mark McGuire’s guitar to shine like starlight on a clear night. Unfortunately, the constraints of the format mean that it is all over too soon (even with it being a 33 RPM 7”). However, Fresh Air is yet another exceptional release from Emeralds so even a few minutes of audio bliss is worth the money.
