The Ironworks, Inverness, 13 March 2011

WITHIN a matter of months, singer-songwriter Emma Gillespie (Emma’s Imagination) went from struggling artist to winner of Sky 1’s Must Be The Music, signed with Gary Barlow’s Future Records and found her first two singles penetrating the top ten at the same time.

Her debut album Stand Still dropped early this year to a decidedly mixed response, with many commenting on the rushed feel of the release to capitalise on the momentum generated by the show. Whilst certainly not the X Factor, the show has still proved a credibility crunching platform for the 27-year-old artist, but one she was immediately keen to highlight; ‘It’s been crazy since the show, and it looks set to keep going that way’ she told the sold out audience before her opening number, before continuing to make several references to ‘the show’ throughout her set.

Emma's Imagination

Much of the criticism levelled at Gillespie beyond the platform which facilitated her swift rise is the safe, prosaic nature of her material; and while it certainly remains firmly within the parameters of familiarity, the sincerity of her delivery in the live environment certainly adds depth to the familiar lyrical and musical ideas on offer. She is also a hugely engaging presence, especially under more intimate conditions such as this, and there were a number of moments when her performance was genuinely affecting.

Tracks such as forthcoming single ‘Brighter Greener’, her fantastic cover of Bic Runga’s ‘Drive’ and the gorgeous ‘Keep’ were real highlights; the latter was especially moving and really allowed the audience to fully appreciate Gillespie’s vocal versatility and solid technique as a guitar player.

Emma's Imagination

Ultimately however, large parts of her set were decidedly mediocre, full of weary, formulaic ideas which lacked any real edge or artistic individuality. Recently, I read one critic questioning whether she has been allowed sufficient time to develop as an artist, and the inclusion of three covers and a number of fillers in a relatively short set certainly adds weight to such suggestions. Perhaps the blizzard of activity around the TV show, aggressive post-show promotional campaigns, major record labels, £100,000 prizes and the generally frightening pace of her rise have denied her any real time to develop a coherent voice; although at 27, it could also be argued she has had significant time to build a strong body of work and fine tune her craft.

Emma's Imagination

At the bottom line, despite remaining within pretty safe boundaries throughout, her performance was good, at times very, very good and I’m sure there is better to come. In the wider context however, there are a number of key female artists in the UK doing the business both critically and commercially – Adele, Ellie Goulding, KT Tunstall and Laura Marling to name a few – so quite where Emma’s Imagination fits in such a strong field remains to be seen, but she has already offered enough to suggest she may well have the potential to become a legitimate contender.

Also worth a firm mention was opening act James Mackenzie, who again illustrated his rapid development as a songwriter and performer. Mackenzie continues to become ever more assured each time I see him; and with a mini-album scheduled for early May and a very promising focus single ready to drop in April,  this genuinely exciting young Highland artist looks certain to build on his strong debut year.

© Alexander Smith, 2011

Links

• Emma’s Imagination
• James Mackenzie and The Aquascene
• Ironworks