EMMA RUGG - 'ISOLATED IMPRESSION'
('In DREAMS RECORDS')
If you � yes, you � are one of �those� people who bemoan the lack of genuine emotional depth in contemporary music, obviously YOU haven�t heard Emma Rugg, presenting her classic and truly timeless debut album of 10 songs.
Self-taught guitarist and singer Emma was raised in York but now lives in Hull, a city that actually funded the recording of this very album via the Hull people thankfully giving generously whenever she busked.
While Emma isn't the type of person to now think of busking as being 'beneath' her, the primary reason you may not see her busking as much these days is due to the severe lack of time she seems to have in light of the widespread acclaim that this album has so deservedly received. Backed by the huge 'pro-Rugg' campaign by BBC Radio's 'Raw Talent' show, 2003 has seen Emma take her first trip Stateside to record a song there, such is her astounding talent to sing from the rooftops about.
For the large-part, there is only Emma and her acoustic guitar gracing these songs bar some subtle drum beats provided by Alan Raw on two of the most poppily exquisite tracks, 'Grand Designs' and then single release 'Prelude To The End.'
'As You Go' opens the album with its heartbreaking melody and her pure, spiritually cleansing voice hitting the high notes on into the aptly-titled 'Grand Designs.'
World-renowned singers such as Celine Dion and Whitney Houston may have huge, powerful voices� but the most important thing of all is severely lacking in their songs and vocal delivery - and that's the genuine emotion I mentioned earlier.
Emma, though, revels in their shallow-sounding shortfalls by ensuring every single note she sings is energized by sheer, rousing passion� whether her delivery is agonizingly intense or bittersweetly subtle.
'Picture Perfect' is atmospherically introduced with a lilting melody, and once she does begin singing it does take some believing she's from Yorkshire, and in particular a resident of Hull. Hell, she honestly sounds like a fallen angel with the weight of the world on her shoulders armed with the eagerness to force everyone to love, not fight; and to listen to good music - not shite.
'Picture Perfect' also boasts one of the finest choruses of the album, and along with 'If The Walls Had Ears,' hears her sounding amazingly like The Cranberries' singer Dolores.
'Prelude To The End' reminds of Lisa Loeb's sweetness, as she desperately pleads for answers: 'Tell me what to do to make you smile.' Indeed, this is pure acoustic pop and as the song progresses it seriously gets better and better in its ascent from the verse to the bridge, to another bridge and into the lovely chorus, reminding of the epic-pop structure of David Bowie's irresistible 'New Killer Star.'
At her most subtle as through 'To Love You,' the touching tune and the vocals are sincerely humble and akin to the style of music that fellow Yorkshire beauty Kate Rusby produces and this track does proudly wander into 'folk' territory, though Emma seems to resent her music being described as 'folk' music. Which is semi-understandable, because as soon as some people hear the term 'folk' they sprint a minute-mile and are immediately alienated. 'Today,' similarly, has my heart in my mouth every time I hear it as she admits 'I should be happy but I'm not,' further proving that Emma's stronghold - apart from the obvious facts that she is a hugely talented singer and guitarist - is her honesty. You have to have metaphorical balls to dare to produce such organic-sounding and down-to-earth, from-the-heart music. But the finished effect can't help but affect and you just want to sing along to her songs, as 'Floor 8' is emotional ascension enough, that's sucked straight from her soul and is extraordinarily uplifting in all its melancholic glory.
Consistently intense in her subtlety and thoroughly catchy with her songwriting craft, at best this collection of songs will slap the face of the harshest cynic, overwhelming the power of the most sublime religious testament you've ever heard.
Pure, 'Isolated Impression' is. Simple it is most certainly not.
To describe both Emma and her album as entrancing genius would be more fitting. But even that remains an immense understatement. 10/10 (Steve Rudd)
www.emmarugg.com
www.indreamsrecords.com