Saturday 31 December 2016

My Favourite Albums of 2016: #8 Emma Pollock - In Search of Harperfield


What do indie kids do when they get old? They listen to (and record) albums like In Search of Harperfield. Emma Pollock, ex Delgado, hadn’t released a solo album since 2010’s The Law of Large Numbers, but the wait was more than worth it. Describing a record as ‘mature’ can often suggest that it’s rather dull, but In Search of Harperfield disproves that rule. This a very adult, sometimes understated, record but it’s anything but boring. Each song is threaded with fascinating plaintive vocal melodies and masterful chamber-pop instrumentation that weave in and out of the record in a way that is never simple but always accessible. Named after the first house Pollock's parents bought after they married, In Search of Harperfield’s clearly a very personal record that is informed by her own reflections of her family and some of the complexities within. It’s a fine body of work with a wintery charm that I’ve enjoyed a lot in 2016. 

Emma Pollock - Dark Skies (Video)

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