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Odds and Ends:
The Kingdom (Desert Panhandle Mix) [added 10.06.09]
Paraguay [acoustic demo: added 10.03.09]
Prop 8
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Lo-fi experiments with psychedelic layering of guitars and floating vocal harmonies that soar over catchy pop melodies and tasteful electronic percussive arrangements. “An impressive range of style and mood.” – Church Of Girl Radio
01. Daarek
02. Discotheque
03. Flight
04. The Snake Charmer
05. The Long Road Ahead
06. The Thought Of You
07. Lady Of The Universe
08. Washer Woman
09. Conflict Of Interest
10. All We Can Do Is Question Everything We’ve Been Told
11. April Showers
3:AM review by Richard O’Brian
emBROWNLOWe’s Flight is an album that defies easy categorization. The Portland, Oregon-based solo artist flits through genres like the British Cabinet goes through reshuffles, describing her sound in her own press pack as, rather incongruously, “indie, folk rock, electro”. However, all these terms could happily be applied to emBROWNLOWe’s music, as well as many more. Indie conjures up unwelcome images of an army of identikit young men playing choppy post-punk below designer fringes, but in this instance it works when returned to its original meaning. Flight is a strong independent statement of an intent not to conform to anyone’s musical standards — so much so that emBROWNLOWe has chosen to self-release.
The album begins with ‘Daarek’’s chunky descending bass, segueing into sharp electronic drums and a melancholic guitar pattern, before falling open to leave emBROWNLOWe’s breathy, versatile voice swimming up from an abyss of strings. The first impression made on the listener is one of uneasy soul, but the track ends on a simple, clean chug of guitar and refuses to sit in such a tight pigeonhole. ‘Discotheque’ lives up to its name, as Goldfrapp-style vocal gasps and a throbbing dance bass lead the listener through four minutes of relentless techno decadence, augmented by what may well be some rather sinister maracas.
Following the title-track’s processed guitars and sexily throaty mantra of “I’ve seen you buzzing around”, the dance elements drop out a little, allowing ‘The Snake Charmer’’s gypsy-folk inclinations to roam free. There’s still pulsing drum programming, but it serves as a counterpoint to the track’s Eastern instrumentation, giving a modern edge to those ominous inflections. ‘The Long Round Ahead’ sees Brownlowe dripping honey over a taut ‘Wipeout’-style riff, exhorting the listener to ‘get moving’ with a dash of ice-cool femme-punk creeping into the mix. She expresses her sultry wish to “sing to you at night” on ‘The Thought Of You’, slowing down the tempo for a slice of dark minimalist psychedelia as multi-layering effects allow her to harmonize with her own voice. The instrumental, ‘Lady Of The Universe’, displays the influence of Radiohead circa OK Computer in its expansive guitar lines, before putting emBROWNLOWe’s assured voice centre stage on the drum-thumping ‘Washerwoman Blues’, singing a wordless summery descant over shimmering strings.
The detuned opening riff of ‘Conflict Of Interest’ owes something to the grunge era, morphing into a cooing foray into garage-rock, before changing once again to a mix of mournful horns and propulsive drums. It sounds weird, and it is — the album is all over the place, and emBROWNLOWe does an impressive job for the most part of holding it together. ‘All We Can Do Is Question Everything We’ve Been Told’ starts in a similar vein, moaning lyrics like “you don’t know why Jesus died” over a two-note bass riff and chiming guitar. As the song progresses the sound gets fuller and deeper, surrounding her haunting vocals in a dense canopy of sound.
Although this is listed as the last track, listeners should make sure not to miss secret addition ‘April Showers’, which is both the simplest and one of the best songs on the album. In a weary purr, emBROWNLOWe sings softly about her “dream of Californian sunshine”, letting her full range show, backed only by a quietly-picked guitar. A strong, memorable chorus cements the dark, sparse power of the track, before a subtle minor melody carries us out of Flight’s moody, noirish world.
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Retrospective is a collection Em Brownlowe’s bedroom and backyard recordings, b-sides and out-takes, album highlights, lo-fi acoustic demos, live performances and collaborations compiled between 2001 and 2006. Flowing like a well compiled mix tape, emBROWNLOWe showcases her talent in defying genre limitations and explores acoustic indie pop, blues, electro and experimental recording techniques. Related artists include: Kurt Cobain’s acoustic demos, Bjork, PJ Harvey, Cat Power, Shannon Wright, Young People, Patti Smith, Scout Nibblet, Madonna.
01. Yardsale Chimes
02. Fireworks in Autumn
03. False Promises
04. Discotheque
05. Flight
06. The Snake Charmer
07. Gray Rags (demo)
08. Catastrophe
09. Artistic Limbo
10. Discount Fireworks
11. Please Let Me Be Good to Her (live in Lille, France)
12. Minstrel Music (live in Paris, France)
13. Addiction Vs. Obsession Vs. Love
14. Eating Words
15. The Ocean
16. Easy Tiger
17. Downtown San Diego
18. For You
19. I Just Wanna Get Away
20. Entertain (acoustic Demo)
21. Reds and Blues
22. Holy Ghost
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01. New Edition
02. Rough Tracks
03. Artistic Limbo (original version)
04. Inbetween
05. Rock
06. Treehouse
07. Size
08. Meteor Or Plane?
09. Bottle
10. Daytrip to the Coast
Bonus Tracks:
01. Meteor Or Plane? (Live in Paris, 2005)
02. Girls, Girls, Girls (Live in Paris, 2005
03. Tide
04. Bury
Digital Liner Notes written by Em Brownlowe:
All tracks on this primitive demo are an inside look at my private recording career between 2003-2005. They are all extremely lo-fi because they were recorded on a Tascam 4-track or an I-pod microphone adapter. Tracks 1-3 were recorded in a dark apartment closet during my first autumn in Portland after moving from San Diego (2003). Two years later (2005), I recorded a private improv demo entitled Alone and Probably Intoxicated. Tracks 6/7 captured complete subconscious improv and have not been played since…The demo’s purpose was to capture the emotions through vocal ramblings and melodies buried deep within myself. Surrounded by trees, I recorded “Treehouse” and “Size” in the old Victorian house I lived in. This house had a safe yet haunted vibe to it, almost like a time capsule; Elliot Smith is rumored to have crashed there at some point. Later that year, I recorded some summer rock demos in the basement of a friend’s house (tracks 4-5 and 8-10). Most of these songs were conceived during the recording process, endearing fuck ups and all. Bonus Tracks 1-2 were recorded while I was traveling through Paris during October of 2005. My friend and I were wandering around cobblestone streets and happened upon an open mic happening in a cellar pub. Inside, there were other musicians whom improved over my performance, adding a spark of minstrel music magic. Sadly, I do not know who they were, or how to find them. In putting this collection together, I have found two more bonus tracks, “Tide” and “Bury” which were recorded by Josh Gross.
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SONGS BY THE CATCHÂ (A collaboration with Sarah-Ruth Tasko 2008)
Relief
Dead Kittens
Who You Gonna Love (Diamond Tounge) [demo]
Relief [YTRON Remix]
Mother-Attak
Every Now and Then (demo)
