reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Pomegranates - Everything Is Alive

Emo: the word rolls off my tongue like a virus. Emo: the self-loathing, heartbroken, nebulous genre that left its tear-stained tracks upon the post-hardcore, post-punk music scene. Perhaps the wound is still too fresh to be examined properly, but it beckons me to wonder what influence this genre has had on contemporary indie-rock. Pomegranates are Exhibit A. While Everything Is Alive showcases numerous influences, I can’t help but hear the vulnerability present in these lyrics hearkening back to that dreaded household word. “Late Night Television” depicts a broken-hearted young man waiting up late for his philandering lady friend whose exploits leave him crying in the dark. If crying in the dark isn’t emo, I don’t know what is. Transversely, “Appreciations” pulls from an inner fortitude that showcases a clear dichotomy between the worldviews of the band’s two vocalists, Joey Cook and Isaac Kaarns. Everything Is Alive is a creative foray into normally quickly dismissible teenage angst, but stands out due to its strong musical backbone. – Christian Crider