Emily Barker - Sweet Kind of Blue

  by Nicky Crewe

published: 18 / 7 / 2017

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Emily Barker is well known for her solo recordings and musical scores. She’s released albums with side projects Vena Portae and Applewood Road and recorded as Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo. Many of her fans will have been eagerly awaiting this new solo album, 'Sweet Kind of Blue'. The title reflects the blues and soul music that influenced and inspired her early songwriting. The album was recorded at the Sam Philips Recording Service in Memphis, a studio that continues the legacy of the legendary Sun Studios. Emily Barker’s distinctive voice joins with Memphis musicians and producer Matt Ross-Spang to create a distinctly soulful feel to her music. Several of the songs are co-written with Boo Hewerdine, well known for his work with Eddi Reader. There’s a real sense of the inspiration and enjoyment that Emily Barker experienced working in Memphis with new collaborations in a very special studio. The title track, 'Sweet Kind of Blue' brings her distinctive voice to the front of a soulful, funky treatment of the song. 'Sister Goodbye', written as a tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe is a poignant message from one musician to another. The new single from the album, 'Sunrise', was written on a Swedish road trip and has a country feel. 'No.5 Hurricane' is reminiscent of Emily Barker’s Vena Portae recordings, yearning, gentle and melancholy in feel. 'If We Forget To Dance' brings the tempo up, contrasting the sweetness of her voice with a Memphis style backing. 'Crazy Life', full of regrets at life on the road has a Tennessee Waltz country blues feel. The lush strings on 'Over My Shoulder' create a wistful mood. More has a very sixties Memphis sound. 'Underneath the Honey Moon' ends the album on a thoughtful note. The combination of co-writers and collaborating Memphis musicians with Emily Barker’s songwriting and vocal style is an interesting one for her established fan base and a good introduction for new listeners. There’s a real sense that she’s achieved a long held ambition in bringing her music to Memphis.

Track Listing:-

1 1206498962
2 Sister Goodbye
3 Sunrise
4 No. 5 Hurricane
5 If We Forget to Dance
6 Crazy Life
7 Over My Shoulder
8 Change
9 More!
10 Underneath the Honey Moon

Band Links:-

http://www.emilybarker.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EmilyBarkerHalo
https://twitter.com/emilybarkerhalo
https://www.youtube.com/user/EmilyBarkerHalo

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