Suburban
Speed

Rating: 9/10

by: Jonathan Greer

Twenty years ago in Glasgow the Delgados were gaining a following as a decent indie-rock band, and then they wrote a song called 'Pull The Wires From the Wall'. It pretty much wiped the floor with anything else that year and marked them as a force to be reckoned with. Since their amicable split - vocalist Emma Pollock and drummer Paul Savage are a couple and he has arranged and produced this record - Emma has made two solo albums, both well received, but In Search of Harperfield has taken a leap towards another level, much like what happened with 'Pull the Wires...'

The magic bits are dotted throughout the record. The first of these is 'Alabaster', a mysterious, even haunting song with electronic touches and a superbly understated vocal. The second is the elegant 'Intermission' where her words weave around a string section. "I clutch to my chest this man I know best" is a great opening line too. The third is the beautifully arranged 'Monster in the Pack' which makes wonderful use of the flamenco guitar of labelmate R.M. Hubbert. Those are the absolute highlights for me, but rest assured that the whole album has a quality which makes it amongst the very best of her work.

Others have made comparisons to Kate Bush and Dusty Springfield and whilst those make sense, Emma Pollock doesn't actually sound like anyone else, though overall the album has a lushness and soulfulness that suggests both those artists could be an influence. It's not an indie rock album either, apart from the lively 'Parks and Recreation' and the catchy 'Don't Make Me Wait'. In fact some of the intricate folk melodies, such as 'Dark Skies', invite comparisons to the likes of Nick Drake. She sounds assured, in control though in a subtle and understated way, which works so well with the arrangements.

The lyrics are intriguing, but as with the Delgados there is a mystery and deliberate vagueness to them. We do know some facts thanks to the record company biography. The Harperfield of the title is the name of the house where her parents once lived, the cover picture is of her father working on a farm, and I'm sure it's no coincidence that her surname is rendered as a mirror image on the cover - or maybe it is on a window looking into the past? Whichever, this is one of those records which leaves you with more questions than facts, but it is done with such skill that I cannot leave it alone. Why, for instance, is there a field recording of train announcements listing stations around Richmond when Pollock's history is in Glasgow?

Contrast this record with the album we reviewed beside this one. Mark Kozelek puts everything in and is guilty of "too much information", Emma Pollock gives nothing away and leaves it all to your imagination. I dislike the cliche about an album rewarding repeated listens, but it is true of In Search of Harperfield, in spades.