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by Laurel Kathleen

Brandi Emma is a singer/songwriter from Silverlake, but you might also know her as Emma Burgess, In 2007, she released her first solo album Swim to considerable buzz, then tinkering with other musical projects before returning to her birth name and her current endeavor. With a return to her birth name and EP Photographic Memory just released in October, her latest project marks a return to a heady blend of folk and alt-country flavors. Brandi Emma isn't a people-pleasing pop starlet in the making, but rather a talented songstress whose ontemporaries skew more towards the dusky reality of Jesca Hoop than the sticky-sweet fantasy of Sara Bareilles. Her songs range from the quirky and genuine to dark and melancholy, and the subject matter and delivery is realistic and down-to-earth. Last night she performed with a string bassist, electric guitarist, and drummer along with her own acoustic guitar, and the ever-increasing audience enjoyed the raw vulnerability of her music intimately housed within the walls of The Hotel Cafe. For a free listen of her song "Let it Go", please click the link below.

What really struck me about Brandi Emma is that her vocal skills are evenly matched by her songwriting ability. Eschewing the modernity of new folk, she instead taps into traditional folk and the country-western style of wistful, timeless ballads. The lyrics of "Let it Go" (posted above) are particularly melancholy, and the beauty of Brandi Emma's music is that it sounds like it could fit in any time period within the last 30 years:

And I don't know where I'm going

But I know where you've been

Stocking up on secrets, and brushing up on sin

I don't mean to lose it baby, but I know

Sure as I'm standing here tonight, I'm gonna let you go

The lyrics and style of all of her songs are a perfect blend of touching and memorable, and this song in particular sounded like the kind of radio folk anthem that Jewel's "Pieces of You" became. On the album, the arrangements are full of soft strings that they recreated onstage with electric guitar effects. The result was a decidedly ethereal effect that complimented the reality of her self-confessionals. The pain and frustration was plain on the singer's face, masked only by the occasional sweep of hair over her eyes. She was very genuine yet informal onstage, introducing and thanking her band in one fell swoop to wild applause at the end of the set. Even if her lyrics profess aimlessness, it's clear that Brandi Emma is on her way up.

Her EP Photographic Memory is now available on iTunes. She will be going into the studio in the coming months before playing shows more regularly, but she does plan on playing at South by Southwest in March. Stay tuned to BestNewBands.com for coverage of the Austin music festival and Brandi Emma's Facebook page for upcoming details!

Absolute Punk-Gregory Robson

11/18/10

Brandi Emma - Photographic Memory EP
Record Label: Self-released
Release Date: Oct. 12, 2010

Who?
Brandi Emma is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who grew up in a small town in western Massachusetts. After gaining buzz under the psuednonym Emma Burgess, she presents this EP of jangly folk pop.

How is it?
Utterly splendid. The disc opens with "Let It Go," a quiet, introspective piece with ripples of acoustic guitar and cello. The entire song is inviting, warm and undeniably comfortable. The irony in that sentiment is that the song recounts an ex- lover's unwillingness to sober up. Though the words are simple, the tone and feel is as striking as anything released this year.

The disc's apex is the plaintive "Tornados," a veritable tour-de-force in which she sings, "I'm good at slamming doors and opening windows for defeat, bitter's never looked so sweet." The buoyant "Happy," features more bounce and tempo than any of the five included here and double bass and a steel guitar help the song sound indelible. Veering heavily towards Midwestern roots a la early Melissa Etheridge, "Happy," is a punchy, ebullient slice of lo-fi jangle pop.

The EP's title track is atmospheric and celestial as Emma wistfully sings, "Oh light, come to my window and stay. She tries to steal in and take us away... Teleport me back to yesterday." While it's not the EP's strongest effort, it's not exactly a flop either. Confident in her abilities, Emma returns to form on "Broken Arrow," an ominous and timeless composition featuring deeply bowed acoustic guitar and the candid lyrics, "Tell me I'm no prophet, this is not shallow affair....since we've been together melancholy days have been few."

And in just 20 short minutes, Emma has already said and done more than many of her contemporaries. Much like discovering Jewel's Pieces of You or Sarah Harmer's You Were Here, Photographic Memory points to a glimmering future for this young upstart and is the surefire sign of a rare and true talent. Major labels, take notice.

Sun on the Sand - Jason Lent

Some years ago in college, I created multiple personalities to maximize the free CD offers from BMG and Columbia House. Changing a few letters in your name was all it took to get 12 CDs in the mailbox. Before broadband and file sharing, this was pretty exciting stuff. One of the albums I ordered on a whim was Jewel’s debut. This was two years before the album, partially re-recorded to clean up the singles, actually broke into the mainstream. It was disarmingly simple and charming which few albums from 1995 could say. Hearing Brandi Emma’s new EP for the first time brings back such memories. Minimal arrangements adorn the songs and one hopes the forthcoming album maintains this balance. Emma’s voice has the power to still a chatty coffee shop and enough depth to color the emotional spectrum. “Every day is right as rain/until you come home drunk again” sets the mood on ‘Let It Go’ and Emma’s voice edges close to breaking as she sorts out her heart. On ‘Happy’, the skies are clear and full of hope as the music dances down an ocean highway while the acoustic strings patter like rain on a window on the darker ‘Photographic Memory’. The EP runs only 15 minutes, which makes it a perfect complement to Sunday morning coffee and a fresh baked scone. If she maintains this simple approach to her music that allows her voice to fill the open spaces, Emma’s debut album will be a lovely affair that promises to bring light to the rainiest of mornings.

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