Emma Louise
Album: Vs Head Vs Heart
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.emmalouise.net/

As a child, Australian singer-songwriter Emma Louise life was one of constant change and new experiences. Her parents were constantly moving from house to house, renovating and then moving on. In such circumstances, small personal objects that make the journey from place to place become that bit more precious and have more meaning than they otherwise would, that constant in the middle of change, the calm in the sea of new experience.

There are advantages and disadvantages to constant change, there is always something new around the corner, but that also brings restlessness and that not being settled feeling that sometimes seems destined to change things for changes sake, rather than any particular purpose. All of these themes and more are neatly covered off in "Vs Head Vs Heart".

As an album, "Vs Head Vs Heart" is probably more poppy and electronica rich than we would normally cover in these pages, but that's a bold and bland statement that misses the song writing imperative that infuses pretty every element of the recording. In some ways Emma Louise has developed something that is part painting, part sculpture in sound. There is an experiment in form, which though it is made up of electronic influences has a real organic flow to it that feels natural yet out of place at the same time, a bit like a Barbara Hepworth statue.

On top of that are some quite challenging themes neatly concealed in beautiful melodies. Hands up that does mean that you might miss some of the nuances, but also it leaves something to be discovered on subsequent listens. Similar the uptempo nature of a lot of the music belies the bittersweet nature of some of the narrative.

"Vs Head Vs Heart" is the album of an artist/songwriter still very much on the trail of self discovery, there are a few musical avenues on the album that seem like they might be dead ends, but this is an album of journey and I'd venture to add, not one likely to be completed in the near future, but for the time being most of the experiments in song that are delivered here work. Emma Louise writes songs that explore both inwards and outwards and that leads to fascinating albums and Emma's songs like the small personal objects of childhood.

Neil King