Just Another Lover For The Long Way Home

I have been a long time admirer of the special ability Emma Davis has to pinpoint the emotional state of growth and change, love and loss. From the get-go the vocals are personal and angelic. Undoubtedly there are many artists who offer a similar smokey breath guitar driven folk but few can crack open different feelings and unearth this level of universally shared introspection. What I'm saying is, she isn't another artist trying to be Norah Jones, Emma Davis is more concerned with writing her own story. As you trundle your way through Emma's lyrics its clear they reside in that unique space between healthy melancholy and warm optimism.

The debut LP was an enjoyable experience for myself as a long time fan. To hear the delicate acoustic tracks I'd much earlier fell in love with gently caressed with additional instrumentation and the production genius of Brian Campeau was truly enriching. The tinkering isn't excessive but was definitely required to enhance the sound but still retain Emma Davis' signature of cat and mouse interplay of the guitar and vocal typified in the open letter of "Feel A Thing" and the beautiful cadence of album opener "Losing My Faith". And every time I hear the twang of the piano on "Did You..." it conjures up memories of mashing the ivory at Grandma's house because I left my toys at home.

But it doesn't stop at enhancing the old songs, while indeed this is a labour of many years work, it was one of the new tracks "Picking Fruit" which was my absolute standout. I think it pricks the interest due to the addition of brilliant Sydney artist Jack Carty who offers an almost male mirror image of Emma from a musical standpoint, the fit of the two is like a kangaroo and red wine jus.


Disclaimer: Now before I go onto what I'm about to say next, I'll put the disclaimer out there that I'd never count a break up as a catastrophic event but you know, doesn't make you feel the best (until you realise you're free from the shackles of Chairman Mao). 

Some years ago when I went through the obligatory teenage breakup and I thought the world was ending. Upon hearing "Happy Song" I was and still am amazed at the ability Emma Davis has to combine the truest moments of happiness and sadness into 2 minutes 16 seconds. While I'm not that same emo dickhead person, now an expertly wise almost 24 year old, it is an endearing quality of Emma's music I still appreciated now.

 

Download: Emma Davis - Machines

Purchase her self titled album off iTunes