(2021) Emily Scott Robinson - American Siren
Review:
On her latest LP, American Siren, Emily Scott Robinson makes good on the promise of her last album, proving the praise was not only well deserved but clearly just the beginning. Across 10 songs, with the backing of acoustic guitars, an almost marching drum pattern and the occasional fiddle and slide guitar, Robinson keeps most of the attention on her voice that manages to be both soft and remarkably powerful. Themes of religion, flawed men and women and a longing to make things right are weaved throughout this collection, highlighting Robinson’s strongest writing so far. Each song is a character study populated with beautifully damaged or in some cases simply conflicted people just trying to make their way in the world. Even on a song like “Cheap Seats,” a track that could easily be just another cliched song about a waitress just trying to get by, Robinson manages to elevate the character to someone the listener actually cares about thanks to smart writing and an addictive hook. The heaviest moment here is the track “Hometown Hero” about a war vet back from Afghanistan who commits suicide with his family in the other room. It’s a hard track to hear, especially with the stark musical accompaniment. Despite being a powerful song though, it seems a bit out of place on this album. “I think that the thread running through the album is those things that call to us, and how we can’t resist that call,” said Robinson. “It’s about the siren songs that come up through our lives. It is bigger and riskier and more expansive than my last collection. It feels like I wrote some songs that I’m going to grow into as I continue to perform them. They’re excavating some deeper stuff than I’ve touched on before, I think they will have a healing quality for people who listen.” Boiled down to the simplest of descriptions, American Siren is relatable. Produced by Jason Richmond – best known for his work with The Avett Brothers and The Steep Canyon Rangers – this record is stripped of unnecessary studio flourishes and any pretention, placing Robinson’s voice front and center. You can’t help but feel the influence of Nanci Griffith on her vocal style and John Prine on her songwriting. It seems rather appropriate, then, that Prine’s own record label, Oh Boy, is releasing this album.
Track Listing:
1.Old Gods 03:46
2.Things You Learn the Hard Way 04:53
3.If Trouble Comes A Lookin' 04:54
4.Let 'Em Burn 05:08
5.Cheap Seats 04:04
6.Hometown Hero 04:58
7.Lost Woman's Prayer 04:23
8.Every Day In Faith 04:52
9.Lightning In A Bottle 04:14
10.Old North State 03:12
Media Report:
Genre: americana, country
Country: USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
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