Alternative Media Group

Alternative Media Group RSS feed

CD Reviews News Article

EMMA RUSSACK – SOUNDS OF OUR CITY

Author:
Posted:
Tuesday, 21 February 2012

I’m not sure which city Emma Russack lives in, but either way there is little on this album that sounds much like my city of Sydney. The rumble of King St, Newtown, nope; the bustle of Oxford St, Darlinghurst, don’t think so. Not that that should caste any aspersions on the album, oh contraire. Following her EP/mini album of 2010, Sounds of Our City is Emma Russack’s first full length release, where she can fully stretch those languid vocal chords over the breadth of an album. And languid is the word for it, slower, softer is the musical tone, as the instrumentation often forcibly holds itself back, to allow Russack’s hushed but forceful vocal style to ride comfortably on top of these ten songs. Think Mazzy Star with some pedal steel. A break-up album, these songs ache of longing for the most part, without being mired down. If you have the guts to open your debut album with: ” Tonight I’m gonna go out, get drunk and find someone to take me home/ No great expectations, anyone will do” then you have set a brutally honest tone and if you carry it through as well as Russack does then you deserve to be rewarded. The listener is.

*** 1/2

Emma_Russack__Sounds_of_Our_City__high_res

Like this article? Register as a subscriber here. It's free! We'll keep you up to date with new stories on the site.

Post a comment

  • ALABAMA SHAKES - BOYS & GIRLS

    Grunty old blues rock from a brand new band: your first thoughts on the sound will likely be that the Alabama Shakes have the same sort ...
    Read more

    boys&girls

  • RUSKO - SONGS

    English producer Rusko is often held responsible for the general change in definition of ‘dubstep’. His 2010 debut album O.M.G. built on the beats-and-bass sparseness of ...
    Read more

    rusko-songs

  • WILDING - BIRD'S BREAD

    Bird's Bread is like skipping on a sunny day through the mind of singer-songwriter Justin Wilding Stokes or Wilding. Contributing all of the songwriting and the ...
    Read more

    Wilding - Bird's Bread

  • FAIR AND VERDANT WOODS - TIN SPARROW

    Fair and Verdant Woods, the independent release by Tin Sparrow, only has one real downfall: that it is not an entire album. Opening with a joyous ...
    Read more

    FAIR AND VERDANT WOODS - TIN SARROW

  • DEATH GRIPS - THE MONEY STORE

    After attracting a lot of attention for last year’s stellar mixtape Exmilitary, the debut album from Death Grips is certainly highly anticipated. The trio’s brand of ...
    Read more

    death grips

Arts & Entertainment