Emarosa jettisoned their post-hardcore past a few albums ago, and on "Sting" they fully land in glossy 80s pop. The Lexington band sounds like a US answer to The 1975 here: big synthesizers, e-drum beats, funk basslines on "Stay" and a general sheen that would not sound out of place on a neon-lit dancefloor. "Rush" pushes the synths and electronic drums right to the front, while "Danger" and "Again" wrap themselves in smooth electronic ambience. There is even a ballad in "INLA" and a rockier turn on "Woman" to keep things from getting too uniform.
This is their sixth album and the clearest statement yet of where they want to be. The production is clean and confident, the songs are built for hooks rather than catharsis. If you liked their 2019 turn on "Peach Love" but wished it went further into pop territory, this is that step. If you are here for the old screamo stuff, you will not find it.
It is a paid release available in lossless and hi-res formats, plus CD and vinyl. The genre tags are alternative rock, synthpop, pop.
