Emily Breeze brings a new bright colour with her latest album Rituals, bringing with it a glamour amidst inspiration from the past.
The first two singles Limousines and Ego Death are much loved and much played by Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6) who has also named her a 21st Century Patti Smith. The record has the spirit of Lou Reed and a strong and beautiful feeling that reminds me of the 70’s New York music scene with its unashamed love of trash as glamour and more than a hint of David Lynch surrealism.
Rituals is a lament of the hangover that never ends. Or rather it never gets to turn into a hangover as you just keep on partying until burnout. There is a lounge lizard sexiness to Emily Breeze’s voice and it’s not what I had expected, but Rituals has come as a pleasant surprise and it’s albums like this that are reinventing the music scene. It draws its inspiration from the past but has its creative marks stamped firmly upon it. This is Blondie, The Scissor Sisters, and The Ramones… this is music for 3 am in the morning.
Limousines is a swirling drowsy lie down on a velvet sofa whereas New Flesh Old Bones is a track that has a nice tongue in cheek sense of humour: “Let’s put some new Flesh on these old bones I know just the place where nobody knows your name, and the lights don’t show your age”.
Raining in my heart is a surprise track on here and is a cover of the famous Buddy Holly song. Slowed right down and sexed right up, Emily transforms this song and makes it her own. Somehow it works but I am not sure how.
Heaven’s Gate has a 1950’s feel reminding me of The Chiffons but crossed with an extraterrestrial landing. Ego Death takes on a sarcastic jazz feel: “The older I get the more dangerous I become“. I know how she feels! And this feels like a celebration of getting older but not a cliqued one. This is a stand out track for me. The lyrics on this track are brilliant and some of the best and wittiest I have heard for some time. In fact, the more I listened to this song the more I love it. I think this will be on my playlist for some time to come. Pure inspiration!
I was surprised and delighted by this album. Love it!
Score 5/5
By Victoria Pearson
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