Anyone who has ever heard Broken Social Scene’s “Anthem for a 17 Year Old Girl,” won’t easily forget the enchanting chorus. Ever. The person behind that evocative warbling is Emily Haines, who sets out on her own with the release of her first solo album, “Knives Don’t Have Your Back,” though the result is far from unforgettable.
Emily Haines is reminiscent of Fiona Apple in her pouty delivery, that is yearnful in its execution. Like Apple, many of the bold lyrics are poetic and emotional, particularly when paired with simple piano instrumentation. Considering many of the songs are supposedly about her recently passed father, poet Paul Haines, this makes sense.
And while I applaud a woman who bluntly commands, “open your chest and take the heart from it” on “Winning” for her poeticism, I could say the same for any number of popular female chanteuses. I can also say that many of her songs sound the same.
As many struggling singer-songwriters can attest, lyrics and a lovely voice can only take an artist so far. There has to be a point of differentiation, a spark, some panache to really drive home the musical message. I couldn’t find that on this album. It didn’t sound like something Haines created, and even though I tried to ignore my significant point of references, Metric and BSS, I, and imagine, few fans, could not.
In Metric, Haines’ is bold and brash, serving up memorable hooks and the human spirit to all who listen. Understandably, Haines wanted to re-brand herself with her solo effort, as many artists tend to do. The result is pleasant, but no where near my expectations. I was extremely disappointed that there wasn’t even one high energy track to suggest her past musical efforts. At times I found tracks like, “The Last Page,” flat out boring.
“Knives Don’t Have Your Back,” is a fair collection of songs, that seem unfair coming from Emily Haines, who should have known better than to simply ignore her previous musical offerings. Perhaps without her band mates’ influence, she is more introverted and pensive in her approach. Either way, by not acknowledging her musical past anywhere on the album, it has come back to haunt her. |