Lou Barlow's first “solo” record, a lush, well-produced affair with eight tracks recorded with producers Mark Nevers, Josh Schwartz, and Wally Gagel, and six tracks impeccably recorded at home by Barlow himself. Emoh represents some of Barlow's strongest songwriting and will have longtime fans and newcomers alike singing along. Of course, the lyrics are sharp, funny, and in one case, downright sacrilegious.

The first album Barlow released under his own name celebrated its 15th anniversary with a 2-LP reissue, marking its domestic debut on vinyl. Digital download includes 8 bonus tracks of demos from the era. ***The LP is now sold out on the Merge Records Store.***

Emoh can also be found at your favorite local independent record store. 

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Emoh was released in January 2005, within a day or two of my first child, Hannelore, being born. I put my real name on it, and it felt like the beginning of a new, more confident era. At the same time, I was asked to rejoin Dinosaur Jr, so, instead of spending the next year touring in support of Emoh, I started a Dinosaur Jr reunion that continues to this day. It was a bittersweet decision because my LP was warmly received and seemed to point to a self-reliant future.

Though Emoh was a positive step forward for me, listening to it now, I realize the songs clearly track the slow dissolution of my first marriage, the fatal break of several partnerships, and my struggle to acclimate to living in LA. That I was able to describe my decline in such detail then hand it out to friends and family members as my “comeback” LP kind of amazes me now.

—Lou Barlow, March 2020