Posted on: December 21, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

I Came Around is a song of regret and loss that mirrors well the emotional intensity felt by someone in that situation; I believe a large part of Emerick’s allure comes in being able to capture in song what a great segment of the population has had to go through. Round and Round is the teetering track on this seven-song EP, and the more pensive and quiet approach here creates a much more cozy and intimate feel to the release.

The simultaneous ability of Emerick to further the instrumental and vocal sides of A Runner and A Singer is something that is immediately shocking, and will bring flocks of fans to her side. The light touch of a second set of vocals during this track really adds the cherry on top of the track’s sundae. With minor amounts of adornment working so well for Emerick on this track, it strikes me as surprising that she takes a more storied approach for tracks like I Came Around.

The complexity of the different tracks on Starry-Eyed make for a much more expansive effort than one can typically place onto that type of recording. This Love Won’t Break Your Heart has an incredibly slow burn, and the track’s nearly five minute run time provides ample opportunity for Emerick to build a solid foundation. On this foundation, she touches upon classic tracks (Auld Lang Syne) to properly demarcate the memories that a couple would have. Emerick is able to talk to the human spirit, and that is precisely the reason why I would love to hear what she can do in a live or a full album space; I believe that the resulting constellation of tracks would be considerably different than what is heard here. However, I am confident that the same quality would resound through anything that she releases. Check this disc out today.

Top Tracks: I Came Around, This Love Won’t Break Your Heart

Rating: 8.0/10

Annalise Emerick – Starry-Eyed (CD) / 2011 Self / 7 Tracks / http://www.facebook.com/AnnaliseEmerick

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