On her solo efforts, Emma Pollock continued in the same direction she was taking with her stellar band The Delgados, one of the most influential bands of Glasgow indie scene on the transition of the centuries. By now, she dropped three solo albums: Watch The Fireworks (2007), The Law Of Large Numbers (2010) and last year's In Search Of Harpersfield.
In Search Of Harpfield is a deeply intimate album, which is already suggested in its title. Harpersfield is the name of the first house her parents bought when they were young. Lyrics are nostalgic reminiscences of her childhood, but also painful memories of her mother's death and her father's struggle with illness. Her gorgeous vocal leads us through 11 mellifluous pop songs woven in melancholy and regret, enriched with soothing melodies. These melodies come in different shapes and arrangements. Sometimes it's just the vocal and the piano, and sometimes is string quartet, but more often it's classic baroque pop format with guitars and string arrangements that are Pollock's forte.
The album unfolds with Cannot Keep A Secret, a song that effortlessly and elegantly balances between light and darkness, just so that it would be followed by melodic pop sound of Don't Make Me Wait. Intermission is probably the most personal number that cuts deep into her most painful memories, which is perfectly rounded by her vocal supported by strings. Parks and Recreation, Vacant Skies and In The Company Of The Damned are brilliant pop songs that reveal how much Emma is still influenced by the sound of her mother-band The Delgados.
It is uncanny why The Delgados were always underrated during their career, considering the quality of their releases. The Great Eastern was a true masterpiece and it never received recognition it deserved. Similar applies to Emma Pollock. Although she has a cult status among the ardent fans of this subgenre, this album was only found by those who know how to dig for sonic diamonds. I have been listening to In Search Of Harpefield for over a year now, and I am still not sick of it. If that doesn't convince you to stream it, I don't know what will.
