If Emma Pollock’s long-awaited - very long-awaited - new album ‘In Search of Harperfield’, explores themes of family, place and time, then the urgent call and response of ‘Parks and Recreation’ finds us in the company of a younger Pollock: engaged in a fight or flight scenario with local bams, and delivering us a gilt-edged slab of alternative pop in the process.
From her earlier career with The Delgados through her excellent brace of solo long players, Emma’s ability to craft leftfield earworms has never been in doubt; with this new single, she's broken her half-decade’s silence with the barreling rhythms of her former band and the urgent guitars of alt-pop heroes Tanya Donnelly and Kristin Hersh.
Emma plays Upstairs at the Garage, London on March 15th: www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/aji1...
LYRICS
Someone take the scruff of her neck
Like a cat takes a kitten
You’re standing on my patch now
Isn’t it time she got bitten?
I’ll stare at my feet
Till I make you trip me up
And when I land on my back
Then she’ll be looking straight up
For the first time in years
I wish I knew the names of the trees
It’s not pointless at all
She’s gonna name all the leaves
If one falls and hits me
And I’m pronounced dead
I’ll know what did kill me
They’ll know what took off, what took off her head
I came down for a game of basketball
But you threw me a punch instead
Where is her support tonight? Seems that they have taken flight
I was hoping to welcome you aboard
But the raft becomes lifeboat and I get ahead
She gets ahead
Screamed round the corner
My wheels took the force
Embarrassed at my lack of discourse
She cannot hold conversation
An influx of trespass
As they pass through my green
Intrude on my privacy
Came here to rid her of shelter
Can you see the tyre tracks?
Of where I did fall?
I didn’t turn the thing too well
She turned and she hit the wall
The fight it went out me
As I ground to a halt
And now I’m surrounded
Somehow she knows that it all was her fault
I came down here for a rematch
But my bloody nose it rained off play
She’s calling for the dogs to spring but they’re just sleeping in
I came down to feed the swans today
But your constant squawking just scared them away
Scared them away
Thanks to everyone at Faction North for their tremendous efforts producing the video. A deafening round of applause to...
Production Company - Faction North
Director - Virginia Heath
Director of Photography - David Lee
Editor - Stella Heath Keir
Executive Producer - Grant Keir
Production Manager - Margarita Veberaite
Costume Designer - Nazia Mohammad
Makeup & Hair - Sandra Cormack
Colourist - Stella Heath Keir
Colour Correction Consultant - Josefa Celestin
Special thanks - Kolik Films, Cameron Fraser
Praise for 'In Search of Harperfield'
“beautifully crafted…an excellent record” MOJO [4/5]
“The Dusty Springfield of cerebral indie pop. In a field of her own” UNCUT [8/10]
“sumptuous songs…bewitching…breathtaking” THE SUNDAY TIMES
“one of our most vital, poetic and singular voices - a career high” THE HERALD
“Emma’s best work yet” SCOTTISH DAILY EXPRESS [5/5]
“a poignant but punchy triumph” THE SKINNY [4/5]
“a record that’s both fragile and opulent…wise beyond its years.” LOUDER THAN WAR [8/10]
“An affecting, powerful album…enthralling.” DROWNED IN SOUND [8/10]
“a dynamic talent…an immediate, all-embracing collection of songs” THE ARTS DESK [5/5]
“just stunning…an immensely rewarding listen” MUSIC OHM [4/5]
“an extraordinary and beautiful transportive work” THE MUSIC FIX [9/10]
“one of the best albums you will hear this year” XS NOIZE [9/10]
“it’s hard to fault this album…superb” NEON FILLER [9/10]
“Emma Pollock made us wait but it was worth every minute” SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM
LINKS
Website: www.emmapollock.com
Twitter: @emmaspollock
Facebook: / emmaspollock
CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND
Website: http:www.chemikal.co.uk
Twitter: @chemunderground
Facebook: / chemikalunderground
BUY
Chemikal: tinyurl.com/gn8oy3a
Amazon: tinyurl.com/jg3nqo6
iTunes: tinyurl.com/habhnqd
FACTION NORTH
Website: www.factionnorth.com
Twitter: @factionnorth
Facebook: / factionnorth