erin mccarley: love, save the empty (2009)

Erin McCarley
Love, Save The Empty •••
Universal Republic 

A preview of Erin McCarley’s debut album, Love, Save The Empty, apparently caused a bit of a media storm at last year’s SXSW festival (the golden chalice for any up and coming artist these days) and culminated in a TV performance on the David Letterman show (also not to be sniffed at, just ask Nicole Atkins). McCarley certainly bears all the hallmarks of an artist in the ascendancy; even in an age where the internet and an economically battered music market leave debutantes scrabbling for attention, she has a few tricks up her sleeve to ensure she doesn’t slip under the radar.

The wow factor in McCarley’s case is undoubtedly her voice, and the assured vocals she displays throughout Love, Save The Empty are tinged with elements of country, pop and soul. She also has the songs to back it up, and a fair few on this album – ‘Lovesick Mistake’, for one; recent single ‘Pony (It’s OK)’ for another – are clearly aimed at the singles chart, boasting catchy lines and epic refrains. There are, however, moments that leave a saccharine taste in the mouth; in the aptly named ‘Sweet Thing’, a refreshingly original introduction and verse suddenly give way to the kind of chorus you’d have heard on ‘Dawson’s Creek’ a decade ago. Again, with ‘Pitter Patter’, the thoughtfully arranged piano and strings promise great things, only to deliver to most boorish chorus this side of Avril Lavigne. You almost wonder whether producer Jamie Kenney said to her, “Yeah, yeah – that’s arty Erin – but we need a BIG chorus here…”

This dual personality issue aside, the songs are fundamentally strong, so it’s a tad disappointing that the squeaky clean production has effectively smoothed off any rough edges. McCarley’s band provide a faultless accompaniment but suck any real character from the arrangements. Maybe she should hike out to a hut somewhere in Wisconsin for the winter and get a bit DIY with a battered guitar and tape recorder. But perhaps that would be pure folly as Love, Save The Empty is squarely aimed at a mainstream audience and its big-heartedness will surely earn her a legion of fans. The title track has real potential to fill anyone’s requirement for an epic rock ballad, with ‘Blue Suitcase’ providing a quirky, jazzy counterpoint along the same lines as Norah Jones.

McCarley has done well to locate herself to Nashville, with its current revival and reputation as the ‘Hitsville’ of the US. Love, Save The Empty seems to have absorbed, to some degree at least, the country and western influence for which the city is famous, but as a whole its tightly crafted songs leap between genres without ever really jumping off into the unknown. Despite never really pushing the envelope, Love, Save The Empty does have merit and convincingly asserts that McCarley has the skills to carve herself a cosy niche.

Dan Everett
Available on import only; www.myspace.com/erinmccarley

 

Love, Save The Empty EPK

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sddrwqxWpg8]

‘Pony (It’s OK)’ [live and acoustic]

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1orhiq5ZWFA]

‘Mary’ [live Patty Griffin cover]

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Clkkd8k77cE]

Written by: Dan Everett

Tags: erin mccarley, love save the empty

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 10:05 am and is filed under albums & EPs, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.