Single Of The Week

Emmy The Great 'We Almost Had A Baby'

I first saw Emmy The Great supporting The Mountain Goats at Union Chapel about a year ago and left thinking that she was a very talented singer-songwriter and one to watch. Mixing clever and sometimes cutting lyrics with sweet melodies, her set at the Chapel perfectly fitted the folky vibe of the night.

Her album has been a very long time coming. Despite lots of record company interest, she has insisted on making the album her way and self-financing it. Judging by this first single it will be worth the wait when released in January. 'We Almost Had A Baby' is a jangly pop song of the highest order with swooning strings and 60s style backing vocals. It all sounds very accomplished indeed and while the song has a warm, Christmassy vibe, the lyrics are sharp and witty. Perfect for listening to on a walkman as you stroll along on a crisp Winter's night.

I'm going to stop now as I've used the word 'vibe' twice already in this review and it is all I can do to stop myself using 'cutting' a second time as well. This is SINGLE OF THE WEEK anyway.

['We Almost Had A Baby' is out now on 7" vinyl and digital download. 'Emmy The Great' is actually Emma-Lee Moss and assorted helpers, I meant to mention this in the actual review.]