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Emily Hurd

Long Lost Ghosts

Review by Gary Hill

I hate to admit it, but I’ve never heard Emily Hurd before. The reason I feel bad about that is that this is Hurd’s seventh album and she’s from my hometown. Sure, I knew the name, but just had never been exposed to the music before. Well, I can now say that Emily Hurd is very talented. She has a great voice and this collection of music that blends folk and pop is quite strong. From here on out I’ll need to follow her career more closely.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Long Lost Ghosts

Piano brings this in, but then it works out to a folk styled tune that’s got hints of country music in the vocal performance.

A Lot Like
There’s more energy and rock built into this tune. It has a definite retro classic rock feeling to it. The multiple layers of vocals work well.
My Favorite Part
Bouncy and fun, this has a lot of folk rock in the mix. It’s another catchy song and has a lot of intriguing layers of instrumentation. It really feels like something from the 1960s. The non-lyrical chorus that accompanies the lead vocals is both catchy and feels like something from the Monkees or other pop act from the latter portion of the 1960s. This is the best tune to this point on the set.
I Love You Too
There’s a more stripped down arrangement on this one. Those country references in the vocals return a bit. This feels more like some modern pop rock number.
Silent Conversations
A fairly gentle and understated number, this continues a lot of the same musical concepts as the previous piece.
I Won't Tell a Soul

There’s a bit of an R & B based styling to this tune. It’s also got hints of country. It’s a bouncy and fun number that has a lot more energy than the previous tune.

Irreparably Yours

Piano and voice opens this and holds it without additional instrumentation for quite a while. Eventually it fills out, but overall this is a powerful ballad that’s pretty and evocative. It’s also got a lot of interesting vocal layers. The violin later in the piece brings some country to the table again.

Brand New
Here’s another cut that starts with just piano, the arrangement turns more toward country music near the end, particularly through the addition of violin.
Skipping Stones

There’s a lot more energy in this number, another that has a real retro pop rock sound. The vocals to this one really have a lot of country stylings built into them. This is one of the highlights of the disc mainly because it feels so much different than everything else.

Easy Call
An intricate piano melody provides the musical backdrop for Hurd’s vocal performance here. In fact, it remains the only instrumentation as Hurd’s singing is what drives the performance.
 
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