The Sheffield Scenester

Ever since we first saw See Emily Play perform live it had always been as a solo artist and so we were expecting the same from her debut EP ‘Four Feet From The Door’ which has been released on Tiny Teeth Records. Basically five tracks, a girl on guitar or piano….but that was before the Library Theatre gig where Emily introduced us to a full band rendition of these very same tracks.

Working alongside Alan Smyth and Dave Sanderson down at 2Fly Studios, Emily called upon her brother Tom, and together the pair of them have knocked out a surprisingly powerful debut disc. Obviously with Emily on piano and vocals, Tom played bass and drums while they split guitar duties accordingly and this is the outcome:

Track one is ‘A Loner Like Me’ which by now has become the standard opener for her gigs, a delicate piano with Emily’s sad, almost mournful vocals floating above. This takes up the first third of the song before drums, bass and guitar roll in threatening to drown her out but she rises to the occasion as her voice soars above this tumultuous clamor. Essentially it plays out like a power ballad complete with guitar solo, but somehow Emily gives it a much more soulful approach which really pays off!

‘Four Feet From The Door’, the title track, perfectly follows on with its military tattoo beating out on drums throughout, listen carefully and you’ll realise that the piano actually takes over at various points, a brilliant effect. There is a video to accompany this track available for viewing on YouTube, moodily filmed out in Stannington and that is pretty much the tone of this song as it appears to run the gauntlet of self loathing. With the tattoo beating away, you feel the futility of this story with an executioners song disguised as a backdrop!

When it comes to this third track, ‘The First Time Someone Has Ever Broken My Heart’, I have to admit I totally, unreservedly love it….. frankly I’d buy the EP for this one alone! That Spanish guitar sound, the galloping drums, haunting hints of spaghetti western creeping into the chorus, Emily drops her voice and hits the perfect tone for this song, right from the opening yelp, all the way down to the helpless whimper on the final note! Everything short of a “Yee-Hah” are thrown in at a breakneck pace, brilliant!

‘The Train’, one of the most poignant songs on the EP as far as I’m concerned, takes us back to her original solo roots as it is a completely stripped back rendition full of emotive power with nothing but a lonely piano to back it up. Both beautiful and powerful in execution and leaving no room for error, it shows Emily’s true talent as a vocalist, and whilst being at odds with the rest of the material on the disc is certainly a worthy addition.

Bringing the EP to a close is the very catchy and addictively bouncy ‘My Brand New Boy’, without doubt the most lyrically positive song and this is more than helped by its almost frothy chorus. With lines like;
“I got myself some brand new shoes, I thought it might help me get away from these blues”

I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself, but don’t worry it’s not an anthem to retail therapy as it seems to look forward to new relationships rather than dwell on the past. However you take it, the bouncing rhythm whisks you away regardless!

Definitely a debut that many can only aspire to achieve and one I would highly recommend!