Album review: Emmy the Great- First Love

Emmy the Great is probably an acquired taste. I don't know that many men who are keen. When you put the album in itunes, it says 'folk'. But she is folk like Patrick Wolf is folk; not really. Personally, I'd call it pop.
Emmy sings really simple but lovely lyrics in a way that Lily Allen could only dream of. And it's because Emmy is clearly not a twat. She's a singer and poet. And she's just very, very honest, even when it's a bit twee, or a bit clunky. And I like that. Plus I very much like her voice.
So finally, the Emmy album. It feels like I've been waiting two years, but it's probably only one. Of course there is always a danger much-loved songs will be ruined 'in the mix' but you can't go too wrong with hers.
Weird to see things like Absentee on the album but no Edward is Deadward, which far superior in my opinion (and both about death). And I guess we should respect her for not bunging on her single Secret Circus, like Mozzy did so callously with All You Need is Me AND That's How People Grow Up. No Canopies and Grapes either. I guess these songs are just too old now, or she's just sick of them.
24 is a bit dreary as well, I prefer her more poppy ones. Sorry! As Simon Cowell would say, whilst resting his thumb on his cheek.
We Almost Had a Baby has a nice waltzy feeling to it, but I prefer Two Steps Forward, it seems stronger lyrically all the way through i.e. 'when love was just a feeling that ran out between my legs/ onto the back of my dress' which is horribly graphic but great. I'd like to have heard a studio version of that.
Oh dear, I don't like Easter Parade much either. Yet it made me feel like crying. Mind you, I cry at anything. Especially on Tuesdays.
Ooh, one I haven't heard before: Dylan. It sounds country-fied, it's Cassadaga-ed. Hmm. It's also got Cemetry Gates style lyrics.
On The Museum Island is moody and atmospheric but didn't make much of an impression on first listen.
Ooh, I really like War, which I also had never heard before. I'm a sucker for strings. Another one about death!
The title track First Love is about the song Hallelujah- everyone is obsessed with that! She even sings a bit of it in it. It reminds me of when Conor sings, 'you are my sunshine, my only sunshine' in the brilliant The Calendar Hung Itself. This song is good too, it's a bit epic and sprawling and confused and I like that.
I love, love, love MIA which I've had a scratchy version of forever. The lyrics are like a sick joke, they remind me of Stan for girls. Not sure about the recorder they've stuck on it, but it's just wonderful, touching and horrible and glib all at the same time.
Next is the Easter Parade Part 2. It kind of good having two parts to songs, even if I don't like them that much.
Bad Things Coming, We Are Safe is pure Bright Eyes Wide Awake it's Morning era. It has some of the Two Steps Forward tune to it, which gives it a Sugar Coma/ Boys on the Radio twist for you Hole fans (come on, I know at least five of them personally).
Everything Reminds Me of You reminds me of country Bright Eyes too, I think it's that reverberating guitar sound. But it doesn't really go anywhere.
City Song finishes the album. I like it but I don't love it, I have to say.
There's thirteen songs on this album and I think that's pretty good value. I like having the CD in my hand lately. I have bought Day & Age, Years of Refusal and this, and I like owning them, I like the tangibleness.
I watched Emmy the Great in the pouring rain at Glastonbury, and that MUST have been two years ago, because I didn't go last year. And it was all little girls watching. And me. Because I'm a little girl, too, inside my head. And I like Emmy. There is something special about her. Hopefully I'll go see her live soon.
At the weekend, my best friend said 'do we have to grow up?'. And the answer is, no.