Emily James, Foreign Land -Acoustic Review
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Emily James is a nineteen-year-old singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles CA.. Growing up in New York, James was surrounded by a wide variety of musical influences, the sounds of pop, rock, blues and folk were a big part of her world. Those sounds shaped her songwriting and vocal style as she began writing her first songs when she was ten. In August of 2016, James released her self-titled EP, Emily James. A year-and-a-half later, at eighteen, she released her debut album, Til the Morning. The 12-track album, written by James and produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy), crosses over multiple genres. Her single “Foreign Land,” was released on November 9, 2018, and was written and produced by James, who envisioned a modern pop sound for the production and built the track from bottom to top in her bedroom. Now James is showing a more intimate side of “Foreign Land” with an acoustic version with her singing and playing acoustic guitar. The song has just as much impact in this acoustic setting as when presented with a dreamy pop-driven sound, a testament to James’ songwriting.
Positives:
James has a naturally warm voice and in the acoustic version, we get to hear all the nuances of this talented singer’s style.
Bottom Line:
“Foreign Land” has a solid song form, strong lyrics and a catchy melody. In the acoustic version, James brings a rich intimate quality to her presentation of the melody. Her warmth and control through her range is solid. She adds beautiful background harmonies to subtly add depth and support to her lead line. The bridge is very impactfull as she develops a clear shape to the song, both in performance and in her writing. Her vocal style is even more intriguing in this acoustic setting. Absolutely beautiful. That's the short of it!