British-born, LA-based artist Emilie Reid explores the turbulence and exhilaration of artistic life throughout Leopard~Sukha, her debut album. Shaped by the pop-rock sounds of the late ’70s and ’80s, the collection moves through loneliness, heartbreak, renewal, and independence while giving each song its own distinct character.
“Fever Beat” kicks off the album with a jangly intrigue, weaving those memorable guitar tones amidst playful rhythms and a commencing excitable vocal signal before emerging into a wordless, dreamy caressing. “Oh mirror mirror on the wall, who is the cruelest of them all?” Reid’s vocals then emerge with magnetic qualities, as the ensuing “give me my fever beat / I want my fever beat” beckoning conjures a throwback charm in the responsive backing vocals and piano-touched infusions. Ensuing track “Girl Run” conveys a smitten quality, its “I’m the one you know you need” temptations mixing with a “run, run, run” cautioning, as bouncy bass and frolicking guitars adorn melodically; it’s another piece of timeless-sounding songwriting with pop and rock cohesion.
A striking sound shows on “Long Lost Trail,” where vocal admissions of solitude exudes a ghostly, spine-tingling effect as distant-sounding piano complements the beautiful vocal harmonies. “Where is my youth?” the vocals ask, like a lost specter in the night. The subsequent “Happy Days” is a charmer as well, admitting “I’m in the fire” in depicting personal tumult and a sense of loss, though with a perseverant “I don’t look for you” signaling of independence. Empowering and melodically memorable throughout, Leopard~Sukha is a strong full-length showing from Emilie Reid.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
