Emmy the Great – Live @ Clwb Ifor, Cardiff
Posted in Gig Reviews on February 8, 2009
As I crept into a packed Spiller’s Records for the free five o’clock performance, squished next to wet duffel coats and dirty Ugg Boots – I knew that I was surrounded by the expectation and anticipation of something ahem, great. Someone even fainted in front of me she was so excited, or maybe it was because she was so hot. Either or, a hush soon fell over the crowd as Emma Lee Moss began singing the Leonard Cohen-inspired single “First Love”, her lyrics resounding through the hopeful gaggle. As her melodies transport you to a sunny afternoon, the poetry of her music delights and makes even the snow covered chilly crowd chuckle…well I was certainly laughing.
Coming in out of the cold and into a dark Clwb Ifor Bach we were greeted by Younghusband. Their style reminded me of an early Teenage Fanclub, or Electric Soft Parade, and certainly did the trick of warming up the early birds, and the young kids. Onto the next support, Ex-Lovers (Is there a theme here?), if you closed your eyes you would think it was an early Death Cab. With some catchy tunes, and some very tight trousers they got the near to full crowd bumping around, or was that just me?
Onto the main act, think Laura Marling and you are half way there. Emmy the Great is not your run of the mill, anti-folk singer who has nice songs and nice lyrics, well she is, but she is so much more. With a generous hour long set comprising songs such as the single “We Almost Had a Baby”, to “MIA” which inquisitively asks, just which song would be appropriate to hum in a car-crash? A fabulous act to see live, tastefully orchestrated, thought provoking and basically quite lovely…and anyone who can slip a Jack Bauer reference into a moving song without taking the piss gets my vote!
One thing is for sure, this girl certainly lived up to her name, Great, that is, not Emmy…
By Ruth Harrison