Canadian singer/songwriter/musician/producer Emm Gryner is currently my favorite recording artist out there, displacing the relatively inactive (recording of new, original material-wise) Jane Siberry and Kate Bush. There are very few musicians that can get me out to a club on a weeknight, but Emm Gryner is one of them. Chris, Scot, and I had the pleasure of Emm’s latest sojourn to Boston/Cambridge Wednesday night at Club Passim. This is the fourth time I’ve seen Emm perform live and she never disappoints.
For this show, Emm played piano and acoustic guitar and was backed up by a cellist and violinist. She is touring in support of her latest album, Songs of Love and Death, her album of Irish covers from which she played two or three songs. Emm has such a huge repertoire of songs, both recorded and unrecorded that I didn’t know what to expect. She played a sprinkling of her back catalog, including “Hello Aquarius,” her “hit” from Public, the album she released for Mercury/Polygram in 1998, “Headline Girl,” taken from her debut independent release, The Original Leap Yearand “Symphony,” the lead track off 2002’s Asiablue. The remainder of songs were made up of new songs Emm is currently recording for a new album, and miscellaneous unrecorded material. A couple of highlights from the unfamiliar included a song called “London Boy,” written for her new husband, and “Killing Spree,” a new song that builds menacingly and is sure to rock out with a full band.
Emm is such a talented musician, songwriter and vocalist. Her voice is unique and captivating. She blends thoughtful lyrics with pop melodies with effortless ease. She even gave a nod to her home country of Canada for allowing anyone to marry. Go Emm! I will continue to catch Emm’s live performances whenever she stops by the Boston area.
There were two opening acts in this “Canadian sandwich.” Halifax-based Rose Cousins was cut directly from the folky girl-with-guitar mold, but featured lovely gentle songs and a dry sense of humor reminiscent of Janet Young. The Tennessee filling in this sandwhich was called The Everybodyfields whose twangy Americana boasted gorgeous three-part harmonies around a condenser mike. All in all a terrific night of music.