Emma Hill, “Clumsy Seduction” (Kuskowim Records, 2009)
Reviewed by Abu Ramses – FCC (“cunts,” “boobs,” “giving head”) ON 3rd PART OF TRACK 15

2nd album of rural Alaska-born, now Portland, OR (yeah)-based singer-songwriter Emma Hill. Acoustic country, folk & Americana. Lyrics mostly about lost love. Big, smoky, soulful, voice sounds more mature than her 22 years. Recalls Sarah McLachlan. Unexpected tempo changes. Instrumentation by the “Gentleman Callers” - guitar, viola, pedal steels, piano, bass, banjo, mandolin & percussion.

Try tracks 1 (but the percussion is too big for my taste), 2, 7

Tracks
1. Lady of the Sea – mid-tempo, searching for love, nice viola - 3:27
2. One Glass Too Many – “love me if you want but just don’t lead me on” starts slow and speeds up after pedal steel country sound comes in about half-way - 2:51
3. Your Fool – down-tempo, afraid to love you - 4:46
4. We Do Better in Bed – mid-tempo with sudden shifts. Solo guitar & vocal - 3:38
5. Crazy – down-tempo, shifts between solo guitar and fuller instrumentation. “just don’t call me crazy, it drives me mad“. - 4:33
6. We Laughed All Night – mid-tempo with pedal steels & piano - 2:27
7. Clumsy Seduction – mid-tempo, solo guitar and vocal, then viola plus more - 4:16
8. Midnight Phone Call – down-tempo ballad of unrequited love - 4:18
9. Goodbye – mid-tempo. I took the road you didn’t, w/ banjo - 3:13
10. Billy – down-tempo ballad. Mourning for a dead lover. Solo guitar & vocal. Harmonies by Sara Sally Gordon - 4:23
11. Doctor –down-tempo with harmonies by Sara Sally Gordon - 4:11
12. My Own Best Friend – in praise of beer, cigarettes, career vs. lost love - 3:05
13. Today – mid-tempo, finger picking guitar and banjo - 3:46
14. I Am the Rock, You Are the Wind – mid-tempo, longing for wandering lover - 3:32
15. Highway 101 – down to mid-tempo with the full band. Ends at 4:35. No sound until new song begins at 5:08. Same at 7:45, but new song after 2 secs - 11:26