Emma Stevens - Enchanted

  by Fiona Hutchings

published: 10 / 1 / 2014

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Radio 2 just love Emma Stevens. Since she first uploaded some songs to the BBC Introducing website, her last 4 singles have received airplay and she has performed live sessions on the shows of both Terry Wogan and Chris Evans. This was unprecedented exposure for an unsigned and self-funded artist, and it looks like 2014 could be the year she makes it big. 'Riptide' kicks things off with a very upbeat and joyful song that made me fall in love with her immediately. 'A Place Called You' is a delicious mix of ukuleles, claps, fairytales and tinkling bells, and then '(Teach me to Breathe) Underwater' and 'Sunflower' calms us down with a slower tempo and more melancholy feeling. 'Once' takes us back to innocent and bouncy pop after which comes 'Dreaming Trees', a track that strikes me as a meditation on loss and grief. Stevens lost her mother to cancer whose artwork was used on the covers of Stevens' first four EPs. This life-changing event is perhaps the reason why this album swings between hope and reflection, joy and sadness. 'This Is for You', for instance, manages to combine an upbeat sound with an almost raw plea. 'How to Write a Love Song' falls on the edge of country, and the album closes with 'A Place Called You (Ballad)' which gives the track a totally different feeling from the upbeat almost Dinseyfied feel it has earlier in the album. I can't help but wish the album opened with the first version though. That would feel neater to me. Stevens herself describes life as "an incredible journey... I'm thrilled to be releasing my debut album this year, it's a dream come true and I'm really proud of all the songs on 'Enchanted'." As well as singing and song-writing, Stevens is also a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, piano, cello and ukulele to name but a few. This gives her songs depth and, thank god, she hasn't adopted that whispery uber girlie lyrical styling others seem to favour. This is an uplifting album perfect for spring, and full of life.

Track Listing:-

1 Riptide
2 A Place Called You
3 (Teach Me To Breathe) Underwater
4 Sunflower
5 Give a Little Bit
6 Once
7 Dreaming Trees
8 This Is For You
9 Party Girl
10 What's She Got?
11 Lazy
12 How To Write a Love Song
13 Hey Summer!
14 A Place Called You (Ballad)

Band Links:-

http://emmastevensmusic.com/
https://twitter.com/estevensmusic
https://www.facebook.com/estevensmusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/estevensmusic
https://instagram.com/estevensmusic/
http://emmastevensmusic.tumblr.com/

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