Emilia Dahlin

When bands self-title an album that’s not their first, it’s almost always a good thing. . .
The theory is that a post-debut, self-titled effort is in some way a re-definition of the artist, a declaration of starting things over, a reimagining.
For Emilia Dahlin, her self-titled sophomore album is probably just a realization that her debut EP, Stealing Glimpses, wasn’t exactly the product she wanted to mark her entrée into the music scene. It was recorded in Massachusetts (that can’t be good. Just kidding. Kind of). Most importantly, it didn’t have the kick-ass rhythm section of Adam Frederick on bass and Jon May on drums.
Hence, it’s surprising that Dahlin opens her re-debut with “6 Acre Lot,” which is just her and her guitar. It’s also slow and plodding, not exactly a whiz-bang introduction. Hid I been organizing this thing, I’d have opened with song two, “Bound to Be,” one of four songs reimagined from Ste3aling Glimpses (which I’m shocked has never, according to my extensive research, been used as an album title before). Ceck out Travis’ The Invisible Band. Do you think they should have led with “Dear Diary” instead of “Sing?” Hardly.
“Bound to Be” appropriately for her personality and self-made attitude, is Dahlin as aggressive gal not to be messed with. A jazzy, halting, start-stop cadence is executed superbly, Dahlin’s staccato delivery recalling DiFranco’s early efforts (but she, too, eventually brought in a band, didn’t she?).
But you’ll find that’s nothing once this album gets rolling. “Blackwater” isw almost a bluegrass song (if not for the drums. . .). With Dahlin’s vocals way to the front of the mix, a bass strum opens the first verse, then is joined by a flatpicked guitar and drums for verse two. Lyrics about “the only home that we had ever know, “where “the hollow would never be the same” because “blackwater’s running though these mines that we’ve made” help Dahlin craft an authentic folk number, and she infuses it with some Woody Guthrie politics by mentioning the “rock dust settled on m y lungs.” It’s a barn burner – and, as such, a great song three.
Later, the album’s best radio single, “Infatuated,” dontinues this aggressive streak, May and Frederick rockin’ a Latin theme, Dahlin coming off like some kind of Fatal Attraction freakshow: “Did I laugh too much? Or come across too tough?”
Oh, and then there’s this gorgeous nugget: “Newsprint letters, cut with so much care/ Bear words of love for you,” Get it? Care bear? Freakshow? I love it. The chorus of “lugging around my love” then degenerates into a scattered, crazed bridge to the finish which is pretty great.
Not that Dahlin can’t do sensitive. In “Song Given Back” her voice climbs a key or two up the register, which is nice – it’s still slightly Ani, but sweeter. Particularly with the line “I’m forever torn,” her delivery is spot-on, sounding a lot like Peggy Hambright, the chick who sang backup for the Judybats (oooh, haven’t thought about them in a long time. Hambright’s only on Sown in the Sahcks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow, though, not on the also-excellent Pain Makes You Beautiful).
Dahlin can also do jazz. On “No End” engineer Joachim Horsely gets a great distorted-vocal effect to recall old-timey jazz standards, layered over a delicate guitar break-down and matching bass break-up. Dahlin keeps up the distorted vocals through the whole song, but might have had more effect if she’d broken through with her natural voice for the chorus. But then I probably would have accused her of being gimmicky. Certainly, when she wails that “I heard of a place called the deep blue sea,” the passion is doubled or trebled by the echoing feeling of distance the effect lends.
In fact, Dahlin shows range and talent throughout. There’s the lullaby “Sleep Tight Willy,” which is successful in its quietude, especially after repeated listenings. And the (hope I’m not giving anything away here) hidden track about stepping in bees (hinted at in the album art, by the way) is a romp worthy of extended treatment.
If this is Dahlin’s reintroduction of herself, listeners should be pleased to meet her.
- Portaland Phoenix - May 4, 2004

AWARDS:

*Voted: Best Local Singer/Songwriter
2006
Portland, Maine

*Voted: Best Local Female Vocalist
2005, 2006- Portland, Maine

*Finalist in the Telluride Bluegrass
Festival's Troubadour Competition

*Finalist in '05/'06 NEMO Music Makers Songwriting
Competition (and showcasing act)

*Showcased at NXNE '06

*Showcased at NEMO '06

*Winner of five showcases,
2004-2006, with the National
Association for Campus Activities.

AIRPLAY:

WERS MA
*WCLZ ME
*WMPG ME
*WCYY ME
WERU ME
*WSHL MA
*KVSC MN
radiodelray.com VA
*WWSP WI

*live studio performances

OPENED FOR:

Tom Rush
Lori McKenna
Andrew Bird
Mason Jennings
Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul
Freddy Jones Band
Better Than Ezra

SHARED STAGES WITH:

Micah Blue Smaldone
Antigone Rising
Jen Shankman
Kay Hanley (of Letters to Cleo) Now is Now
Kate Shrock
Darien Brahms
The Anniversary Jason Spooner

SCHOOLS

Saint Mary's College of CA CA '03
U Cal Riverside CA '04
Coe College IA '05
Central College IA '05
University of Dubuque IA '05
Bradley University IL '02
Lake Forest College IL '05
Hanover College IN '03
DePauw University IN '03
University of Kansas KS '02
University New England ME '01-'04
St. Joseph's College of Maine ME '01
Colby College ME '01
University of ME Orono ME '05
Southern ME CC ME '05
Brandeis University MA '01 - '04
Tufts University MA '01 - '03
Stonehill College MA '97 - '03
Bridgewater State College MA '02
Smith College MA '04
Saint Cloud State University MN '02
Normondale C. C. MN '04
South East Missouri State MO '02
University of New Hampshire NH '00
University of North Dakota ND '02
Binghamton University NY '02
Wittenberg University OH '02
Linfield College OR '04
Indiana University of PA PA '02
Bucknell University PA '04
Eastern WA University WA '04
Seattle University WA '04
Everett College WA '04
Whitman College WA '04
Eastern WA C.C. WA '04
Central WA University WA '04
Edgewood College WI '05
Lawrence University WI '05
Northeast WI Tech WI '05
Ripon College WI '05
University of WI - Eau Claire WI '04
University of WI - Steven's Point WI '04
University of WI - River Falls WI '04
University of WI - Stout WI '04

VENUES:

ME -Saltwater Music Festival
(Brunswick)
-Common Ground Fair (Unity)
- Maine Festival (Brunswick)
-Kayak Rendezvous (Portland)
-State Theater (benefit
collaboration)
- Limerick Elementary
-Catherine McCauly High
(Portland)
-Windham High School
-Gardiner Public Library
The Skinny
SPACE
Free Street Taverna
Bull Feeney's
The Ale House
100 Congress
Mercury Bar
Amigos
RiRa
Brian Boru
Inn On the Blue (York)

MA
Club Passim
Kendall Cafe (Cambridge)
Middle East (Cambridge)
Blackthorne Tavern
(Easton)
Dogwood Cafe (Jamaica
Plain)
Cleary's Bar (Boston)
New Song Folk Cafe
(Whitman)
Stoughton Music Society
Off The Common (UU
Church in Bridgewater)
Starbucks (Boston)
The Moors (Provincetown)
Bubala's By the Bay
(Provincetown)

NH Press Room (Portsmouth)
Portsmouth Gaslight Co.

VT Pickle Barrel (Killington)
Mount Snow (West Dover)


MN 400 Bar (Minneapolis)
Beans (Duluth)

CA Red Devil Lounge (SanFran)
Hotel Utah (San Fran)
Ireland's 32 (San Fran)

IL No Exit Cafe (Chicago)

WI Acoustic Cafe (Eau Claire)































- Emilia Dahlin Productions

http://www.portlandphoenix.com/supplements/bmp/One/documents/04710407.asp - Portland Phoenix

http://www.itrockrag.com/archive.php?amonth=5&ayear=2005&asection=therankinfiles - IT Magazine 4/05