VAL EMMICH . QUOTE SHEET
NEW ALBUM
STAR LEDGER
The prolific,
endearing Val Emmich, who has been one of New Jersey’s best-loved
singer-songwriters for a decade, has released a new album, Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed. The title is a good description of Emmich’s mission and his yearning approach to pop balladry,
though he’s got an underpublicized playful streak, too.
THE AQUARIAN
Looking For A Feeling You Never Knew You Needed is the prodigal son’s full return to his pop roots. Emmich is a guy that would sound good writing country, blues, pop or Louisiana Cajun for that matter. The direction matters less at this point than the content he continues to deliver from within. The record is lush but sensible. Slick, stark style melds seamlessly within myriads of handclaps; drum patterns, vocal layers and synth patches that scuttle around big, warm electric guitars and pianos like water beetles stroking frenetic patterns on a lake. Emmich is one of those guys that know the value of taking calculated chances and keeping fresh opportunities on the radar. The buying public will eat this up.
JERSEY BEAT
TV fans know him from Ugly Betty or 30 Rock, or maybe one of his many TV commercials. But here in NJ, we know Val Emmich is a musician first and actor second. The singer/songwriter pulls out all the stops and gives us a taste of everything he’s learned in his 10-year career on the digitally-released Looking For A Feeling.... He tugs at the heartstrings with the piano-driven ballad “Gone,” pumps up the volume on uptempo indie rockers like “Don’t Wanna Go Home” and “Next To Me,” and hits the dancefloor for the beat-heavy “Sidekick.” Lyrically, many of the songs return to the same themes, the search for identity and the difficult passage into adulthood - understandable for a talented musician who keeps getting cast as boy toys as an actor. Emmich started on an indie, went through the major label meatgrinder, and now he’s self-releasing himself digitally. Do yourself a favor and download this.
PREVIOUS ALBUMS
NEW YORK
TIMES
"Val Emmich may not be the first rock singer-songwriter to see a major-label record deal go sour, but he’s one of the few who seems to be getting the last laugh....To start, there is his still-thriving music career....He has also just completed a novel....Last but probably not least, there is his day job [where] Emmich has been drawing a paycheck by smooching with the actresses Tina Fey and Lucy Liu on the sets of the TV shows “30 Rock” and “Cashmere Mafia”....[Emmich] has fully rediscovered himself artistically.... [It's] shaping up to be a multiplatform reinvention."
STAR LEDGER
"A warm, empathetic songwriter with an ear for hard-to-resist hooks."
OUTBURN
"It isn't often that an artist can capture the poppiness of such artists like the Foo Fighters and the Dave Matthews Band with the indie heart of Ben Kweller and Bright Eyes."
VANITY
FAIR
"From the state that brought you Bruce Springsteen comes a strong, emotional album from Val Emmich."
"With two solid projects under his belt since deciding to leave Epic Records, Val Emmich once again proves that following your instinct is always a smart move, and he demonstrates this by heading into a completely different artistic direction while at the same time keeping his musical focus in sight...I can tell you that from his track record, it will be interesting to see what happens next. I can guarantee it won't be boring.”
NEW YORK
TIMES
"Fans of the pugnacious early Joe Jackson should appreciate the blunt songs of Val Emmich, whose wounds and vindictive streak are barely contained by his terse rock tunes."
AMPLIFIER
"You want naked emotion? This guy has it in spades."
STAR TRIBUNE
"Val Emmich, is a New Jersey kid with a whopping falsetto and whose restless soul takes him into such random territory as indie disco numbers and angsty punk anthems."
BOSTON GLOBE
"Emmich fills his songs with mellotrons, xylophones and Moog synthesizers. His understated harmonies reflect the confusion and insecurity of his lyrics."
"Val Emmich is too smart to be either too emo or too sensitive. Think Joesph Arthur with Rufus Wainwright's emotionalism and Pete Yorn's pop instincts."
THE AQUARIAN
"I tip my hat with respect to a guy who has weathered some tumultuous storms and managed to right himself with his belief in his music....SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARTY takes an honest look at some of life's most intimate experiences, dealing with life and all the emotions that accompany us. Spanning topics as varied as rebirth, vengeance, honor and infidelity, Emmich's interrelated presentation is a breath of fresh air and should be an inspiration to anyone who's stood up in the face of adversity and triumphed. And believe me, this is about triumph."
STAR LEDGER
"Emmich writes intensely personal lyrics....He separates himself from the emo pack with a vocal style that strikes plenty of raw nerves but never descends to whimsiness, and music that favors classic rock stateliness over punkish simplicity...a sense of renewal permeates SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARTY."
CURRENT
"The lyrics are incredibly funny and touchingly honest. It is hard to classify Emmich. Songs on this classic rock album are both fast and slow and tend to favor guitar driven tracks…his breathy, emotive voice adds rich layers to the music, which you'll want to listen to again and again, if only for his confessional lyrics. Although his desire was to create an "imperfect album," listening to the album it is hard to find fault with the very focused and rewarding result. Listening to this album is a discovery."
JERSEY BEAT
"Emmich lays it all on the line here with music that sounds spontaneous, feels heartfelt, and speaks to the adult in all of us, tackling thorny issues of relationships, self-doubt, and societal malaise with a keen eye for detail and an ear for captivating hooks....I'm happy that one of New Jersey's most talented young artists has opted for personal fulfillment over jockeying to be the next American Idol. We need more Val Emmichs in this world"
HOME NEWS
TRIBUNE
"It's a real treat, with an expansive palette of sound - from skiffle to emo to rawk. Emmich has matured both as a singer and a songwriter, with less screaming, more singing and a nuanced approach to the arrangements and melodies. But beyond what's on the surface of SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARTY, there's an undeniable weight, a bearing, that makes the album a compelling and mature statement of being. A statement that will resound with the listener."
SUBURBAN ROADS
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Emmich's new record, SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARTY has exceeded all of my expectations (and then some)....Val Emmich stays close to what he knows he's good at - powerful lyrics that are recited with such emotion that you can't help but relate and sympathize with the variety of situations in every one of his songs. Its brutally honest perspective, as well as Emmich's unmanipulated, raw material, creates a record with genuine value & meaning. An album like this doesn't come around often.”
ALL AGES ZINE
Chicago Based Music Magazine Est. 2002
With his blend of quiet, hushed vocals and piano I was reminded a whole lot of bands like Coldplay, only better. Emmich has a certain amount of heartbreak and redemption that shines through on his vocals, almost as if putting together this album was a bit of a release and rebirth for him as an artist. The music is simple, pop driven, rock music but has a certain amount of depth to it....SUNLIGHT SEARCHPARTY is one of the most complete albums of 2006!"