Track Listing:
1 Something
2 Keep Walking
3 Passing By
4 Lately
5 Standing
6 TV On The Radio
7 All That You Wanted
8 Back Home
9 One Good Thing
10 Wanted
11 Someday
12 She Knows
Shaktu Records
Keep Walking
Emily Maguire
We all take decisions to follow certain paths in life everyday. One such day Emily Maguire decided to give up her London flat and head for a shack in the Australian outback. Whilst based there she recorded her debut album the aptly named 'Stranger Place.' It proved to be a wise decision as it established her as a critically acclaimed artist down under. Then following a tour back in blighty Emily returned to her new home to record 'Keep Walking.'
Initially the albums breezy facade betrays the fact that copious amounts of planning and playing went into this. Emily drew on existing skills as a trained pianist and cellist, then with borrowed violin and viola she creates her own string ensemble. Recruiting a bassist and a drummer to compliment her own guitar and voice completed the desired set.
'Keep Walking' the title track has already been playlisted on Australia's ABC radio. It warrants its place there displaying plenty of commercial muscle. Emily says her intention was to 'give people the same feeling you get when you go and look at the horizon above the sea and you get a sense of silence, space and possibility.'
Striving to fulfil this mission Emily does highlight some hefty universal themes of struggle, love and loss. This tends to work to best effect when her lyrics are more oblique. 'Back Home' benefits from some thoughtful moments,
'So I go with the river, go where the river goes. And I flow with the river, I Know what the river knows.'
Whereas when tackling more topical matters on 'TV To Take Away' things become a little to literal. Not unlike a news report. There's also a slight tendency to fall for some obvious words in the form of light, night, fight. Not enough though to really detract from what are songs that could be helping Emily into the mainstream spotlight.
Evolutionary dots could easily be joined from Joni Mitchell to Suzanne Vega to 'Keep Walking.' There's Joni's love of Jazz and Suzanne's jagged guitar lines all in one sassy package. It's ultimate strength lies in when the best elements converge. 'Someday' has the ideal swell of strings and longing lyrics that could move the most hardened cynic.
Emily Maguire doesn't attempt to re-invent the wheel. And why should she? There's already plenty of attention coming her way. We all sometimes need a sense of silence, space and possibility don't we?
Dave Kushar