Emma Pollock- In Search Of Harperfield
Trying to recover psychologically from witnessing the Saturday Night Live Kanye fiasco this past Saturday night, I needed to listen to some music that could possibly erase that bad memory.
Mission accomplished. Over the past few weeks I have been listening to tons of music from across the pond in the UK. There is quite the new music scene over there, producing some of the best music I’ve heard in years.
One new album that grabbed my full attention is the third solo effort from the Scottish singer songwriter, Emma Pollock.
“In Search Of Harperfield” is the singer’s third album in nine years, and five years since her previous brilliant album, and I must say, this new one is her best.
Pollock is an incredibly talented songwriter and it is her lyrics that are the star here. Wonderfully dark and scary at times, the words pair perfectly with her perky punchy vocals allowing the songs to dance into your brain making it quiver from delight.
“Don’t Make Me Wait” sets the mood early on with the steady beat and exquisite input from a string quartet. A song so simply smooth, yet complex and velvety.
The violin and cello played throughout the somber “Intermission” create a creepy mood that will leave you breathless. Ironically placed halfway through the album, the song truly is an intermission of sorts, and a great place to catch your breath for the gems to come.
The song getting the most airplay on the British Isle, is “Parks And Recreation”, a guitar laden hit that will make you run out of the forest in panic mode. Pollock sings “I came down for a game of basketball, but you threw me a punch instead”. Got to love it! Sorry Kanye, that line right there is better than your entire repertoire.
Containing not a bad song in the 11 song set, Pollack methodically builds up to the final four songs that are four of the best songs I’ve heard this year so far.
“In The Company Of The Damned” highlights Pollack’s more than adequate guitar playing. “Dark Skies” with its sparse instrumentation pushes to the foreground Pollock’s vocals that sparkle in a melodic brilliance.
Then now we are off to the final two, wow, the final two. “Monster In The Pack” has it all. The steady drone of a cello blending in with Pollock’s voice is hair raising to say the least. She has a special certain way to present her lyrics that is rare and is something special to witness.
The album ends with “Old Ghosts”, a sonically dark offering that is my pick for song of the year. I love the sound of her voice as she paints a vocal picture of maturity and life experiences that she leaves dangling on her sleeve for all to see. Brilliant!
There now, that bad Kanye experience has faded from my mind now. Thank you Emma Pollock.
