Emily Baker: All at Sea

Brighton-based singer-songwriter Emily Baker first came to prominence a few years ago when she was awarded an Arts Foundation fellowship in songwriting by Annie Lennox. Since then, Baker has soldiered on, unperturbed by anything approaching success, but you sense that might change when people hear her second album.

At just over 30 minutes, the record’s nine simply crafted, serene songs (deftly done and dusted in three days by Robert Plant’s producer Gavin Monaghan) chart a course of discovery and understanding.

Like the cover drawing (by Amoret Abis), the songs are fine of line, lean and distinctive; the likes of Best Laid Plans, Warm Hands Cold Heart, Coast Is Clear, Northern Lights, Cold Turkey and Fire peek at frail lives, make interesting observations and then respectfully retreat.
Download: Warm Hands Cold Heart, Northern Lights, Cold Turkey