Photo Credit: Suzy Lamont Photography
Miss Emily – Vocals
Guitar – Colin Linden
George Recile – Drums
David Santos – Bass
Michael Hicks – Hammond B3
Okay, here we are on a Monday and I will get this review up and about for the new Miss Emily album “Medicine” that was released on November 7, so out on all platforms now. I confess this should have been sorted a couple of days ago but life and baby (and some binge watching of Netflix “Interview With a Vampire”) ended up getting in the way.
Allow me to share the press information with you before I get to the review itself:
“The new album blends soul, blues, and roots, and features an all-star cast of musicians at the top of their game. Including players from Bob Dylan and Keb’ Mo’s bands, the new album pairs her thunderous voice with songs of truth and resilience. Known for her powerful voice and exhilarating live shows, Miss Emily channels two decades of raw experience into music that heals and uplifts.
Miss Emily has a voice that demands your attention. She is never predictable. She values community above all else. For more than 20 years she has channeled those principles in her songwriting and performance, never shying away from an open conversation with her audience about the struggles she has faced.
Whether it was domestic violence or being a musical road-warrior and a single mother at the same time, Emily has always opened her heart in a communal invitation to share, heal and celebrate.
During the writing process for “The Medicine” that commitment was tested. “I wasn’t in a great head space,” she says, her voice cracking under the emotional weight of the memory. “Like so many of us, sometimes life brings you down. In one of my darker moments, I wrote an angry song. Then, as I continued prepping the songs, I realized I didn’t want anger to be a prominent theme on my new album. I wanted to celebrate community. I wanted to record music that made people feel better.”
“The Medicine” is just that; a collection of soul and Americana-inspired blues. The album is produced by Nashville-based JUNO and Grammy winner Colin Linden and features a hand-picked team of amazing musicians including Linden on slide and electric guitar, Keb’ Mo’s keyboardist, Michael Hicks on the Hammond B3 and George Receli; a drummer who Keith Richards lists as one of his favourites. Receli’s resume includes 20 years as Bob Dylans’s drummer.”
My review:
The album is 9 songs and runs to just under 37 minutes.
“My Freedom” – don’t look back if the past is dark! This song is a nifty number, it took me to old town New Orleans for some reason (but that might reflect my recent television watching!).It has some cool funky vibes and you kind of move along to the groove here!
“Stand Together, Band Together” opens with a soft drum feel before Miss Emily places her vocals telling us that we all need to pull together to get through life’s struggles and be stronger than ever. It had a late evening feel, quite an immediate sense in the production that puts you in the scene.
“The Medicine” is a melancholic blues track. Written a few years ago after a family member of an overdose victim reached out to Emily and asked her to write a song to represent the victims and families of overdose victims, it’s an empathetic plea to understand one of the most complex issues of our time. What can I say here, I had a family member who took their own life and a close friend I nearly lost when he was accused of something he simply hadn’t done (he’s doing great now thankfully) – melancholic contemplative blues. We are only human after all and those demons will try to get us. It’s a blues club number, sad and emotive.
“Maybe” reminded me slightly of Gloria Estefan. It is a love song where love is not fully on the agenda! Miss Emily delivers a strong vocal performance and the song has a moment with the Hammond Keyboard that I found worked nicely for this one.
“You Make Believe” is a love song for wounded hearts who wonder if they can love again. It has a jazz vibe to it and I would happily hear this one in one of those smokey jazz clubs when Harding was in the White House enjoying an illicit late night bourbon! It’s late night, sleazy and playing with the blues fusion.
“Running Again” picks up a bit of speed and plays with a heavy bass groove. For me, this was one of those songs that slotted nicely into the album, it has a catchy chorus and is another solid vocal from Miss Emily.
“Solid Ground” is a love letter from a mother to a daughter. As a mother with a one year old baby (son) I can relate to this. Life is never easy, but we hope so much that they will never experience the sadness we have. It’s a gentle moment of storytelling and reflection.
“Smith’s Bay Drowning” connects aspects of folk storytelling with sea shanty and the blues. I am told that this “haunting true story poem is set to melody by Emily’s music mentor Suzanne Pasternak. The tragedy took place in the island community of Prince Edward County where Emily is the 8th generation of her family raised there. The story is a common theme of rural island life and living and working on Lake Ontario.” It is my favourite track on the album, it’s strong and ethereal and a track that will go on my personal playlist. Well Done!
“Remember This Song” closes the album down with a slow bluesy beat, some solid work on the guitar and drums as Miss Emily tells us to remember this song as music has the power to lift us up. It did move me, but I am still in love with the last track lol.
From the haunting storytelling of “Smith’s Bay Drowning” to the blues balm of “The Medicine,” this is a record that walks the fine line between heartbreak and hope — and finds beauty in both.
And we hope you liked the review, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise pages, shops, editorials and even a poetry page. Content is free here, but we work hard for you, and to support the magazine, please show your appreciation on the support button below and buy me a coffee!
All songs written by Emily Fennell, except Track 8 written by S. Pastenak with poem by Miss Shannon
Track 4 cowritten with R. Baker, Track 6 cowritten with Colin Linden
Produced and mixed by Colin Linden in Nashville, Tennessee
Mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone at Sterling Sound, New Jersey
Additional engineer: Michael Stankiewicz
Production assistant: Janice Powers
By Stevie Ritson