Play 90 second soundbite of 'Flow' @ 'CD quality'
This girl really seems to feel the words and there's a natural sensitivity running through each and every track; Emma-Lee emotes and expresses with such confidence and worldly-wiseness that you start to think she's been looking in to your own world - nice touch!!!
Emma-Lee is actually pretty difficult to pigeonhole; she manages to bring swing in close to the blues which she then sits effortlessly against a touch of nu-country with some intelli-pop thrown in and a hint of several other genre for good measure! Her Myspace page says 'Melodramatic Popular Song / Soul / indie' which instantly made me smile coz 'melodramatic' kinda says it all really - Emma-Lee definitely tends towards the dramatic side of whatever genre she might be givin' out. Emma-Lee is quite clearly a polished and gifted performer and she certainly delivers her songs with inherent tenderness, cute breathiness and ballsy finesse.
'Never Just A Dream' is rammed full of 'big' songs that have been lovingly crafted and sensitively performed - sure there are a couple of stand-out tracks but it would be totally unfair to highlight them coz everyone's taste is different and this is very much a case of 'horses for courses' - everyone will find their own favourites over time but, believe me, it's hard to choose!! They say cream rises to the top but as far as I can tell it's all cream! As I listen I am being slowly but surely drawn into Emma-Lee's sensuous world; she's weaving a magic that's damn intoxicating and the more I listen, the more I'm hooked. Although a totally different musical experience, Emma-Lee reminds me somewhat of Janis Joplin because she puts so much of herself into every second of every song but where Joplin took her voice to the edge of reason, Emma-Lee manages to hold it all nicely in check but still gets the emotion out and really lives the songs!
'Never Just A Dream' by Toronto songstress Emma-Lee is quality and class - an emotionally charged journey, a sensitively portrayed trip into hearts and minds - her songs could be about you or me, the emotions within are real, near tangible, you'll feel them too, you've been there! Classy stuff this from Emma-Lee - 'Never Just A Dream' is a piece of gold at a time when real jewels are hard to find.
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