Emma Pollock

Watch the Fireworks

BY Chris WhibbsPublished Sep 11, 2007

Although Glaswegians the Delgados may not have got their due back when they were making immaculately composed orchestral pop, the lovely siren of that band, Emma Pollock, has decided to try and hold the flame aloft. Luckily she seems to have absorbed her former band’s sound and innate ear for melody, as this debut is quite enjoyable. Never one to make things simple, there is a vast number of musical ideas that go from simple indie, as on opener "New Land,” to the more magically mournful, like "Limbs.” The combination of Pollock’s crystal-clear, pitch perfect voice combined with the layered guitars harkens back to an early ’90s British sound but it never sounds dated. "Paper and Glue” stands out due to the effortlessly simple melodies that mesmerise, only deepening upon further listens. Indeed, for straight-up, catchy pop you can’t get better than "Here Comes the Heartbreak.” A very apt title, all one needs to do is to slip this baby into your desired media player and enjoy as Pollock charms and dazzles the senses.
(4AD)

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