emBROWNLOWe's Flight is an album that defies easy categorisation. The Portland, Oregon-based solo artist flits through genres like the British Cabinet goes through reshuffles, describing her sound in her own press pack as, rather incongruously, "indi [+]emBROWNLOWe's Flight is an album that defies easy categorisation. The Portland, Oregon-based solo artist flits through genres like the British Cabinet goes through reshuffles, describing her sound in her own press pack as, rather incongruously, "indie, folk rock, electro". However, all these terms could happily be applied to emBROWNLOWe's music, as well as many more. Indie conjures up unwelcome images of an army of identikit young men playing choppy post-punk below designer fringes, but in this instance it works when returned to its original meaning. Flight is a strong independent statement of an intent not to conform to anyone's musical standards -- so much so that emBROWNLOWe has chosen to self-release.
The album begins with 'Daarek''s chunky descending bass, segueing into sharp electronic drums and a melancholic guitar pattern, before falling open to leave emBROWNLOWe's breathy, versatile voice swimming up from an abyss of strings. The first impression made on the listener is one of uneasy soul, but the track ends on a simple, clean chug of guitar and refuses to sit in such a tight pigeonhole. 'Discotheque' lives up to its name, as Goldfrapp-style vocal gasps and a throbbing dance bass lead the listener through four minutes of relentless techno decadence, augmented by what may well be some rather sinister maracas.
Following the title-track's processed guitars and sexily throaty mantra of "I've seen you buzzing around", the dance elements drop out a little, allowing 'The Snake Charmer''s gypsy-folk inclinations to roam free. There's still pulsing drum programming, but it serves as a counterpoint to the track's Eastern instrumentation, giving a modern edge to those ominous inflections. 'The Long Round Ahead' sees Brownlow dripping honey over a taut 'Wipeout'-style riff, exhorting the listener to 'get moving' with a dash of ice-cool femme-punk creeping into the mix. She expresses her sultry wish to "sing to you at night" on 'The Thought Of You', slowing down the tempo for a slice of dark minimalist psychedelia as multi-layering effects allow her to harmonise with her own voice.
The instrumental 'Lady Of The Universe' displays the influence of Radiohead circa OK Computer in its expansive guitar lines, before putting emBROWNLOWe's assured voice centre
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