We Both Enjoyed A Good Fight

Lucy Rose - Shiver

There is an earnestness to Lucy Rose’s debut album, Like I Used To, that makes it hard to ignore. In most ways, the record is just another collection of an unremarkable set of acoustic songs, with very little to differentiate it from an already crowded genre. In Rose’s case, perseverance will reap rewards. The softly sung youngster from Surrey has a knack of capturing relationships that feels intimate without losing accessibility to a wider audience. On ‘Shiver,’ when Rose laments “We broke / Everything that was right / We both enjoyed a good fight” or confesses “And we stole / every moment we had to make the other one feel bad” her vocals are tender and sorrowful enough to convince any listener that she’s opening her heart to them. Whereas the ambiguity of the lyrics allow anyone to adopt the song as their own heartbreak anthem. Rose’s music may not push the sonic or songwriting boundaries, but it has a beautiful judged balance that few can match.

I wish that every time he touched me left a mark

EMA - Marked

In May this year South Dakota’s Erika M. Anderson (EMA) released her first LP Past Life Martyred Saints. A difficult record to listen to, its theme’s of abuse, alienation, obsession and sorrow will be too much for some to endure. However those that persevere will be richly rewarded as the record is both discomforting and achingly beautiful.

‘Marked’ is my favourite song from the album which apparently “came out fully formed in one take” Sonically the song is a fairly sparse affair, where no sound is superfluous or wasted and every layer has been added with the most deliberate purpose. The track opens with a plodding acoustic guitar that’s heavy on string shifting squeaks and where Anderson’s voice rasps amongst the notes. This simplicity forms a backdrop against which the lyrics paint a disturbing picture.

For when Anderson sing’s “Don’t you know that I would never hurt you? You are such a pretty thing” it sounds as if she’s recalling a promise made to her rather than by her. Something that becomes clearer when she starts to repeat “I wish that every time he touched me left a mark” Allowing her listeners a few moments to question. What do those two statements mean in context of each other? What happened to her? The answers your imagination come back with are universally abhorrent. So much so that when the warming organ washes in and disperses these dark thoughts it comes as a palpable relief.

The skill EMA displays in leading you along these paths of emotion is subtle and will take multiple listens to fully appreciate, but once you do the song becomes something truly extraordinary.

EMA’s Past Life Martyred Saints is available to buy now from 7 digital and all good record shops

Marked by editradio