Emo is a musical genre built on shifting sands. Its genesis is in a fin de siècle feeling of uncertainty, but as we enter a Brave New World of global concerns, the narrow anxieties of a clique of mostly white, suburban, middle-class kids, however valid, seem a little less important in the wider scheme of things. 1997 appreciate that in order for their sound to be relevant, it has to reflect a broader musical spectrum.
The band, as they’re name suggests, have a foot in the Jimmy Eat World, pioneering emo camp While some of their contemporaries still seem rigidly inward-looking, locked into a monotonous musical cycle of power chords and keening vocals, 1997’s magpie-like gathering of string, mandolin, harmonica and piano flourishes creates an often dazzling pallete, used to brilliant effect on ‘Grace’, ‘Tennessee Song’ and ‘Droppin’ Times’.
The other formidable factor in their appeal is the daring interplay between vocalists Kerri Mack and Kevin Thomas. This male/female interplay infuses many tracks with a folky authenenticity, at varying times tender, soaring and always heartfelt. Although the group’s lyrical concerns remain personal, there is little overwrought melodrama or phoney angst on show.
For a debut album, A Better View Of The Rising Moon displays a laudable level of assuredness, and spirited invention. On this evidence, 1997’s nascent talent is surely one that will endure.