Emilie Kahn OUTRO. Secret City Records

Montreal harpist Emilie Kahn is releasing OUTRO, the lush follow up to 2015’s 10 000. Formerly known as Emilie & Ogden, Kahn’s latest is a collection of indie pop full of adulthood’s melancholy. Having shed any monikers, OUTRO is Emilie’s pained exit from youth, an honest accounting at once anthemic and intimate. The album is produced in collaboration with Warren C. Spicer of Plants and Animals.

“I think as women we are often made to feel like we should bein competition with each other, something I’ve always felt in the music industry; I wrote ‘Island’ about that feeling of isolation that comes with worrying that you may never be special enough. I decided to subvert that narrative and portray a vision of a vision of women finding refuge in solidarity instead.” - Emilie Kahn

It’s rare for me to play an album that forces me to listen right from the very first opening notes. That’s what happened when I played the opening track, ‘Swimmer’, on OUTRO. The opening instrumental sequence is mesmerising, dreamlike and utterly beautiful. Then the fragile vocal arrives: sweetly, expressively and contemplatively. The harp moments add to the song’s deep emotional ambience while melody is delivered by the truckload.  ‘Island’ is a supreme example of how good the production is here. The opening guitar chord is so clean and clear while the vocal and accompanying instruments are beautifuly separated and heard with absolute clarity. Kahn’s music if firmly in pop territory but not of the instant, throwaway kind. The song is strong on melody with memorable choruses and lyrics, with sonic adventure thrown in for good measure.

‘Three’ darkens the ambience slightly with its bass bias and deathly pace while ‘Will You’ jagged instrumental backdrop adds originality and distinction to this lady’s impressive artistic arsenal. Solo harp welcomes in ‘Aquarium’ while Kahn’s voice ups the sweetness and contemplative stakes. ‘Never Good Enough’ bounces along in rockier mode helped by its prominant drum rhythm with the vocal laying gently on top. Finally acoustic ‘Seeking’ whose vocal dominates beautifully over the most sensative instrumental background. Kahn’s vocal and harp playing is featured strongly on what is for me one of the highlights of this lovely album. The final outro of piano notes and distant vocal are straight out of heaven.

4/5

https://emiliekahnmusic.com/