There’s something of the night about Emily Fairlight. She’s a former rebellious teenager from New Zealand who is entering her thirties with a dark turn of mind exacerbated by a a brain injury caused by a freak accident.
Gloom and doom go hand in hand and the country/folk songs on this album have more than their fair share of both. “I crave the darkness I see in your eyes” she declares in Nurture The Wild suggesting that the singer takes a perverse pleasure in walking on the un-sunny side of the street.
The ocean is a recurring metaphor but is viewed as a threat rather than a source of escape. “I’ll drown before I sink” she predicts in Water, Water and a similar watery demise is envisaged in Sinking Ship.
The single - Drag The Night In - exemplifies her ability to use a deceptively catchy tune to carry less than affirmative message about loving relationships. Another track is aptly called Private Apocalypse and it is revealing that this was considered as a possible album title.
The fact that it was recorded in Austin, Texas explains the Alt.Country mood and her introspective style draws comparisons to established artists such as Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Cat Power.
String arrangements are used to good effect in The Escape while the trumpet and accordion gives The Bed a nice Calexico-esque Tex-Mex vibe.
However, the glass half-empty melancholic mood is so relentless that this is a record that will appeal more to party poopers than fun seekers.
