Album Review: Emma Louise - Vs Head Vs Heart

Emma Louise's debut album, Vs Head Vs Heart, is quietly confident, managing to be incredibly brave and humble all at once. The singer displays her raw talent for vocal tone and composition, but also establishes a willingness to push the boundaries of her genre while exploring very personal content in her insightful songs.

The album opens with 17 Hours, which introduces her slow, ethereal tone and truly captivates the listener from the opening bars. The pace then changes suddenly with Atlas, which is considerably faster and features the singer's steady vocals over a catchy, syncopated beat. Emma Louise shows off her impressive vocal range in Stainache, which is simultaneously understated and powerful. Mirrors is one of the album's standouts, with its interesting musical composition and quirky lyrics. This song shows that Emma Louise is both mature enough and brave enough as a solo artist to inject honesty and personality into her music.

The singer's confidence seems to wane slightly in Freedom, which is less entrancing than the other songs on the album. Braces, however, is slow and steady, choosing to lure you into its depths with its intrigue rather than present you with simple, catchy lines or melodies. Pontoon, again, proves that Emma Louise has a distinct vocal and lyrical style that is truly her own, and which she delivers unashamedly throughout this record. The closing track, however, is the standout here. To Keep Me Warm is nine minutes long and delivers all you could ask – it's honest, straightforward and wildly competent without a hint of arrogance. This song, and in fact the whole record, is a sure sign of great things ahead.