Friends of Emmet - State of Mind

Expat Dubliners Friends of Emmet have been writing, playing and recording in Los Angles for several years now. On the evidence here, the hard work is beginning to pay off. Specialising in the kind of wide-screen anthemia that has never gone out of fashion, they’ve had songs on TV shows such as Jersey Shore in the US and Eastenders and Hollyoaks in the UK. Though currently unsigned, their debut oozes confidence.

The mid-tempo opener and current single, ‘Coming Apart’ (written in tribute to Kevin Hynes, who survived a suicide jump from the Golden Gate Bridge), is immediately impressive. A driving, old school rocker, it has everything, including a persuasive vocal from frontman Mark Leddy and a neat guitar riff.

Leddy’s voice is at times reminiscent of Peter Gabriel. He holds his own on ‘No Surprise’, a pop-oriented, Beatles-esque tune with piano to the fore. Another strong track, ‘13th Floor’, recalls The Police circa Synchronicity, while ‘Hero’ veers towards Coldplay territory, with a touch of Springsteen for good measure. ‘One Man Show’ displays Joshua Tree influences while the stripped-down ‘Headline’ benefits from the relative lack of adornment.

Another epic cinematic ballad, ‘Watching The World’, seems tailor-made for TV or movie duties while the brooding, atmospheric closer, ‘Restless’, finds Leddy almost channeling his inner Tom Waits.

A strong opening salvo then and one that should see FoE progress rapidly.