Let’s get one thing clear: the Kelvingrove Cafe is in no way a music venue; the downstairs room, in which tonight’s gig is situated, is small and elongated rather than wide, so I’m not sure how many of the people in attendance can actually see Emma Gillespie.
The stage is a small set up in front of another bar, sadly not in use, though if we turn our attention away from the venue and onto the performance itself, it is different story altogether.
The artist formerly know as Emma’s Imagination has reinvented herself it seems, as this is the release show for her first album in sic years.
‘Your House’ opens things up and the talkative crowd are met with lots of shushing; Gillespie is accompanied by a guitarist, Ben, who adds another layer to the set with an added hum of electric guitar, creating more a dimensional aspect than just a regular acoustic show.
Another thing that helps with this layering is the vocal harmoniser that Gillespie uses (“if I sound like a Dalek, that’s why”), instead of sounding robotic it enhances her already very capable and dulcet voice.
The first couple of songs are taken from the new album, Pier Siamese; the sound that elicits is a melancholy folk, similar to that of Rachel Sermanni, although she has her roots in American rather than Highlands soil; this is attributed to the time Gillespie spent in the States recording this new album.
Peppered through the set are some older songs that are quietly sang along to, one trademark of Gillespie’s songs are wistful “whoa-oohs” that fit nicely in between or tie up the end of songs, like a brown string bow on a parcel.
Another gift that presents itself is in the form of the very last song of the night, ‘Forever Young’; at this point, she turns around and shows off her bump, as the song is a tribute to her baby boy, still six months in utero.
This plays testament to her, as she clearly is a seasoned musician, still growing and changing, but still making her own brand of delicate and sombre alternative rock.
Words: Alisa Wylie
