Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) - Year of the Rabbit [Single]

Count Your Lucky Stars

May 2, 2009, 04:50 PM

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Fridge-magnet poetry name – check.

Seven-inch white vinyl single release – check.

Cutesy illustration of a rabbit in a red scarf on the sleeve – check.

Following this none-too-subtle trail of clues you can properly work out what the music sounds like. Michigan-based Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) follow up their 2007 debut EP "When The Sea Became A Giant" with this single in advance of their new album due this summer. They state a kinship with 90s emo but this is of a softer, quieter hue – and the pigeon-holing doesn’t serve them well.

'Year of the Rabbit’ is a slow-burn yearning plea of unrequited love (“Don’t say good night, it’s not enough to get me through this night”) with a warm recorded-live-in-one-take feel. The twin guitars, drums and bass establish a stately indie-rock crawl for close to two minutes before vocalist Keith Latinen’s anguished and strained whine comes in. He does heartbreak well if a little off-key for some tastes. B-side “idk, my bff Jill” is more uptempo but also ups the vocal anguish.

It may be a little too self-pitying or narrow in appeal for some ears but there’s enough potential to warrant indie-rock kids keeping an eye out for that summer full-length release.

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