Album Review

Emma Stevens – Waves

• 10th Nov 2014

Waves is the second album from Surrey singer songwriter Emma Stevens. Her debut album Enchanted was very well received, and this collection of twelve bright pop songs is likely to go down well with her many fans too. Sevens has a melodic voice, and a nice line in songwriting too. There is a summery feel to much of her work, a country-folk tinge that marks her out from the many mainstream female pop singers who are almost indistinguishable from each other.

Opening track So Stop The World perhaps sums up Stevens’ musical approach. Simple and melodic, optimistic and jaunty, it is a radio friendly pop song with some substance. The slower Nothing Serious is also good, the emotional vocals well delivered. Helium , a cleverly written love song works well too.

Two other songs stand out because they offer a little variety to the album. The folky and fast paced Gold Rush with its complex drum beat and big chorus is a little different. Stevens’ current single, this one has a stop-start rhythm and the chorus is simple yet effective. The other is the folky Amaretto Kisses a delicate love song where the longing in Stevens’ voice gives it real feeling, and the guitar work is rather good too.

The rest of the album pretty much follows a single template of decent pop songs that start slowly and build towards the chorus. There’s nothing bad here, but nothing that stands out too much either.

This may not be a groundbreaking album, but then few are. Waves is basically a solid collection of mainstream pop songs that are nicely delivered by a talented vocalist. Emma Stevens largely takes a safe approach to making commercial pop. but she does it well.

Venue: Waves
Support Band: self