Emma Kupa has one of the most distinctive voices in indie. She has since the days she was fronting Standard Fare. Thankfully she's recorded an absolutely gorgeous record as a solo artist. And It Will Come Easier, out tomorrow on Palo Santo in the USA and Fika Recordings in the UK, is a splendid thing, one which should earn nothing but raves.
Mixed with Darren Hayman (Hefner), her partner in other projects, Emma Kupa's solo album bounces from one indie gem to another. "Nothing at All" skips atop a banjo and strings with Emma's smooth vocals carrying this into your memory, while "Keep an Eye Out" uses a similar banjo-hook to anchor the song before it expands into something bigger. For every cut like "When Our Toes are Long Enough" that seems light, Emma Kupa's voice lends the material another edge. She reminds me of both Joni Mitchell and Alex Lahey and that ought to give you an idea of how I see this album's appeal.
It Will Come Easier is a warm record, but it's also more than the usual singer-songwriter-kind of offering. The cuts are all distinct, with enough variations in the largely mid-tempo indie as to render this whole project a compelling one. "Hey Love", for example, is as intimate as "Nawlins" is outgoing, and both succeed thanks to Kupa's way with a vocal-line, and Hayman's modest mix. It Will Come Easier is just a joy to listen to, and such an easy record to love.
It Will Come Easier is out tomorrow via Palo Santo Records in the USA and Fika Recordings in the UK.
More details on Emma Kupa via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: James Wolf]