Emma Gatrill – Come Swim (2024)  


Review:
Emma Gatrill’s new album, Come, Swim, has the most interesting genesis. It’s one thing to start a new record by asking friends to provide drum loops and beats to use as a starting point to shake off the creative cobwebs. Inverting the creative process by not starting with her harp challenged her brain to break away from the old patterns and instruments that may have previously been tangential suddenly took centre stage. Using instrumentation more commonly associated with the world of classical music: harp, violins, and clarinets, she merges these with synths and percussion to form an unlikely alliance. Rather than a collision of classical and modern, Gatrill finds the key to making everything work harmoniously. Past, present and future intertwine to create a sonic pallet that transcends its sources. Seed begins with chords and beats before the harp enters. Contributions from Rachael Dadd, Rozi Plain and Kate Stables of This Is The Kit (on Ocarina) add depth to lyrics that call out the need to stick to one’s principles and be the best person one can be. “Help a stranger out like a friend in need/ Don’t be frightened to stand up for what you believe.” For a harp player, it seems almost incongruous to hear it so low in the mix of Out of the Dark. Dominated by strings and synths, not to mention percussion, the harp becomes just another element rather than the dominant one, creating added colour and allowing one to focus on the voice and lyrics. Realizing that change only comes when one makes change happen, she offers, “You see through/ all the could’s should’s and would’s are a means of excuse.” The understanding that one finally has the chance to make real change on their own, she sets the pathways for others to discover their own realities. Throughout the eleven tracks of Come Swim, Gatrill creates a unique musical alchemy. By turning the writing process on its head, she gains the freedom to reinvent her music. Adonis Blue illustrates how the harp becomes more of a rhythmic choice than the lead instrument. The pulse of the harp on Cloudburst, along with the beats and massed voices builds and changes, yet at its heart is her voice. As brave and bold as it is challenging and chilled out, Come Swim illustrates music that is simultaneously inside and outside the tradition. With this album, Emma Gatrill has established herself as one of the most inventive women in music today. — by Bob Fish at folkradio.co.uk


   


Track List:
01 - Seed
02 - Out of the Dark
03 - Offshore Disco
04 - Adonis Blue
05 - Dance with Me
06 - Moonmilk
07 - Anchor Me
08 - Corners
09 - Cloudburst
10 - Juna
11 - Come Swim


Media Report:
Genre: dream-pop, indie-folk
Country: Brighton, UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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