Albums

Emmy The Great - First Love

Charlie Ralph 02/02/2009

Rating: 4.5/5

Some would say that music is so addictive because of it's ability to connect so well with the listener's emotions. Whether they conjure up a feeling of anger, depression, joy, or otherwise, it is this mysterious force that subconsciously draws people to music. A mixture of emotions are contained within Emmy The Great's very long-awaited debut album First Love, and they are portrayed so beautifully that it's hard to overlook that, and review any other factor of the album's qualities that make up the score at the bottom of this page.

Indeed, the album is split between new songs, and songs from old EP's and various blogs. With the sheer amount of Emmy's demos floating around the internet, it wouldn't have been surprising if she made an album that half of the people who bought it had heard all before. But no, Emmy instead decided to re-record all the old songs from the EP's, with good (City Song) and not-so-good (Easter Parade) results, as well as record 6 or 7 new songs for the album. But first of all, if you haven't heard Emmy's old EP's, and are completely new to her unique talent, this album is simply a must. The old tracks pretty much read like a 'best-of' from her demos, so this album works as a brilliant introduction.

Musically, the album is surprisingly complex. Rather than focusing mostly on Emmy and her guitar, the album features a multitude of backing instruments. The songs are catchy too, but not in an annoying way, you want them to get stuck in your head (especially first single from the album 'We Almost Had A Baby')

Overall, the album is a complete triumph musically, with the highlight being the penultimate track 'Everything Reminds Me Of You', a beautiful song that tugs at the heart strings in the best way possible. The only thing that lets this album down is the poor production. Even if you're not usually one that focuses on that side of music, it is a distractingly poorly-produced album, even though it is self-funded, something better is still to be expected.

Nevertheless, this album should be bought immediately by anyone who is a fan of the more tender side of music. Even if you're not, First Love is a perfect opportunity to get in touch with your emotional side.

Release date: 09/02/09