Album Review

Imogen Heap – First Train Home

• 26th Oct 2009

It may be conjecture, but it is my uneducated assumption that most great singles were not written having returned from a party at 8am; and so it falls to Imogen Heap once more to assert her talent on a level above the ordinary. ‘First Train Home’, Heap’s first single from ‘Ellipse’ proves that revelry does indeed produce records, as the post party track looks set to top the download charts.

The production of the track remains dedicated to the electronic harmonic, interspersed with stylised vocals layered over a subtle electro base. Classically introspective lyrics are vocalised with traditional electronic relays, resonating the hauntingly poignant sound of the future that she has become renowned for.

An analytical approach to this track however is deemed to be disregarded, ‘so what, you’ve got a silly hat on’ sings Heap, and the charm of the song is instantly obvious. It is lyrically endearing, ‘I want to run in fields, paint the kitchen and love someone’. After listening to the track, I am in my trainers, holding a paint brush with an open heart.

The lyrics detail the feeling of wanting to return to the homeland, having returned from a party in Brighton that ‘her heart just wasn’t in’. It encapsulates through delicate harmonics and haunting electronic resonance the feeling of returning to the familiar, whilst maintaining a powerful vocal presence that volubly dominates the single. Arguably the most striking feature is the wonderful silliness that is evident, despite moments of electronic technical ingenuity and beautiful lyrics. It is to my own detriment that I too was not wearing a ‘silly hat’, for the genuine warmth of the song encapsulates her safe haven perfectly.

‘First Train Home’ looks on track to be another hit for the artist already hailed as ‘The Download Queen’. The digital EP is released on Monday 26th October, and with 1,500,000 Twitter fans behind her, she looks set to storm the download charts once more.