EMMA HILL

For her second album, released in 2009, Emma Hill is touring with her new backing band The Gentleman Callers. Though her moniker is reminiscent of fellow country songstress Neko Case (“And Her Boyfriends”), Hill doesn’t sing with that same sort of raw power in her voice. What she lacks in force, however, she makes up for in breathy melodies that leap octaves with ease, something she takes full advantage of on some of the folksier numbers like Goodbye and We Do Better In Bed. At only 22, Hill may still be figuring out what is most complementary for her dulcet tones, but she’s got enough stories to tell along the way the keep us interested while she works it out. Lines like the title track’s “I wanted it to be perfect / Like the colour of your eyes,” capture the endearing broken-hearted hopeful she does best.

Published in Volume 65, Number 15 of The Uniter (January 13, 2011)

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