REVIEW: EMENSIA – ‘REDEFINITION’; HOW THEIR DEBUT EP WILL MAKE WAVES IN THE SCENE

Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of artists emerging from the scene, bringing us some serious bangers that we’d even consider to be classics now. This year has been no different. Right at the buzzer, the scene has been given another absolute gem of a band— along with an outstanding debut EP.

Formed in 2018, Emensia, the four part alternative rock band hailing from Queens, New York,  consisting of vocalist Ian Taylor, guitarist Marlon Moran, bassist Joe Goggin, and drummer Angel Oquendo, dropped their debut EP, ‘Redefinition’ this past week and as a whole, it is nothing short of phenomenal.

The release features six tracks including their electrifying single, “Home”, as well as the incredibly composed “An Architect of Dreams”, which is based off of the film Inception. It has a very heavy post-hardcore influence with classic pop-punk elements merging together to give us a superstorm of alternative goodness. When we asked vocalist and songwriter Ian Taylor to tell us a little about the EP and what it means to the band, he said:

“As a songwriter, it’s one of the first things I’ve ever written, so to me this EP is very, very personal. It’s kind of a reflection of myself growing up and dealing with the gripes of it all.  In some ways, for all of us as a band, this EP is sort of an appetizer of what we have in store as artists and as a band on our albums in future.” 

The overall sound of the EP is reminiscent of the golden years of Vans Warped Tour, but with a far more complex and unique take on the classic vibe we all grew up with. When we asked Taylor about the band influences, he said: 

“I think some of our biggest influences as a band, and for this EP are Mayday Parade, Paramore , Yellowcard, Silverstein, Secondhand Serenade, My Chemical Romance, Pierce the Veil…A Day to Remember. I think personally my number one influence is The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. “Your Guardian Angel”, was one of the first songs I ever heard that resonated with me, also one of the first things I learned on guitar. Around 2009 I made it my goal to hit the high note in “Face Down”, and around five years later I finally got it.  RJA was always really big for me.” 

The EP also includes the obligatory “sad pop-punk acoustic ballad” but it is certainly nothing to complain about, as the “The Highest Hopes are the Hardest Falls” is beautifully executed, showing Taylor’s masterful skill in his craft as a singer. 

This isn’t just inclusive to this track, as Taylor is also able to showcase his extreme vocal range across the entire EP, including featured screams (being just as chest pounding as his clean vocals), as well as distinct riffs, drum fills, bass lines and overall killer instrumentals. Coupling this with imaginative, expressive lyrics, that have catchy hooks that’ll be stuck in your head for days, and strong overall production, Emensia’s ‘Redefinition’ is a force to be reckoned with and it is without a doubt that we’ll be hearing more about these guys very, very soon. 

Emensia’s ‘Redefinition’ is now available across all streaming platforms!