Search - Vicky Emerson :: Reach

Small Town Songstress Melts Your Heart with Her Serene Seren

Brian Ball | Oakland, CA USA | 07/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A blend of Americana, Folk, Country, Blues, and Rock is the best way to describe Vicky Emerson's album, Reach. The album transports the listener to the expansive plains of the Midwest and brings all the hardships and joys of simple American life into plain view. She makes the listener take an album-long walk in her "pair of empty boots."



Her angelic voice initially draws the listener into the album, and her virtuosic piano playing and poetic songwriting keep the listener engaged and entranced in the album's ascending and descending flow. She combines interesting, genre-blending beats with seamless vocal harmonies to create an uncommonly catchy and enjoyable sound.



The album starts out a bit soft and slow, but with a display of tasteful mixing, it quickly ascends within the first three songs. Track three, "Where Are You Now," the first song with acoustic drums and a bass guitar, is noteworthy because it shows off the dramatic nature of her songs with the addition of the violin track and Porcupine Tree-like bass line. Her use of melodic, ambient background instruments (most commonly the strings and a synth-sounding slide guitar) gives the music a somewhat melodramatic yet powerful atmosphere, and becomes a motif throughout the entire work.



As the album progresses, the emotional tone rises and falls with alternating upbeat, high-spirited songs and more downhearted, reduced-tempo ballads. "Anymore" is a strong, jamming, bluesy song that highlights her independent, self-actualized character and confident attitude. This feeling is quickly reversed by the following track "Empty Boots," which is probably the most original and impressive song on the album. It is a depressingly reminiscent ballad of a woman who is tormented by the presence of her deceased lover's empty boots. It portrays true sorrow with the use of inventive, moving lyrics, eerie harmonies, and vividly dramatic violin melodies, leaving the listener feeling as if they have had a captivating spell cast upon them.



This album is without a doubt a remarkable work of musicianship and creativity. It is artfully mastered and precisely produced so the sound is professional but not at all overdone. Even though this is not one of Vicky's most recent albums, it is definitely a gem on her discography, and anyone impressed by this album should check out her latest release, self-titled Vicky Emerson, which hit shelves in 2007.



--Written by WR Intern Jacob Gross"

Every song a favorite!

JuJu | Mount Dora, FL | 11/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The voice, the lyrics and the musicianship combine to create an entire album of favorites! Each song tells a story and the variety creates everthing from tears to the urge to get up and dance. Including piano solos with vocals shows the versatility of this artist and adds a soothing touch, especially after the song, "Empty Boots." In a word...awesome!



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