*** (out of four)
Empires is a band that's easy to root for. The Chicagoans built a local following off of 2008's diverse "Howl," released for free and showing that rock unpredictability can be a good thing even if it's at the cost of a cohesive sound. In 2011, the group made the final four in Rolling Stone's contest to put an unsigned band on the cover. Its time slot at Lolla 2012 was rescheduled due to the storm-caused evacuation, but taking the stage to a smaller crowd than they would have had otherwise, Empires played and connected like they were headlining a sold-out Soldier Field show.
So following 2012's enjoyable, impassioned "Garage Hymns," it's nice to hear "Orphan," the band's major label debut (Chop Shop/Island Records), show the quartet continuing to come into its own. Where "Garage Hymns" mostly just tried to rock (and often did), "Orphan" establishes an intimate, Nick Cave-like moodiness built of Sean Van Vleet's voice and music whose darkness maintains hope while acquiring dirt on its collar. (Note: You should still listen to it loud.) "All we are is indestructible as far as we know," sings Van Vleet on the sexy, pulsing "Honeyblood," which effectively follows the excellently building "Shadowfaux." That song's hook twists around you like a snake you never saw coming, with the confession, "I can't help myself when I see you" seeming honest rather than generic because of the band's ever-present, earnestness-free conviction.
These are economical, B-plus songs that grow on you, whether it's the shimmy of "Please Don't Tell My Lover" or the title track starting leather-jacket cool and growing into vulnerable, anthemic beauty. Part of me does miss the directness of past highlights like "Hell's Heroes" and "Surrenderer," but the less-straightforward "Orphan," which has more to like than love, isn't going for raw, rockin' hit singles. Only the forgettable "Stay Lonely" and the icky, sexual lyrics of "How Good Does It Feel" feel ill-advised here.
The record ends strongly with back-to-back winners "Glow" and "Journey Kid," the latter showing how the album rises gradually and the former offering a great mix of Van Vleet flexing his vocal range and the guitars making simplicity soar. Once again, Empires' persistence and appeal refuse to be denied.
In concert: 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at W Hotel Lakeshore. Free with RSVP.
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mpais@tribune.com
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