Miss Emily – The Medicine
Gypsy Soul Records
9 songs – 37 minutes
Miss Emily Fennell is a long-time veteran of the Canadian blues scene who seems to have flown under the radar of the wider blues audience, as indicated by her award of the Canadian Maple Blues Awards’ New Artist of the Year category in 2019, nearly 20 years into her career. She has released a number of previous albums, with 2021’s LIVE At The Isabel being a JUNO nominee for Blues Album of the Year.
Well, if there is any justice in this world, that might be about to change with the release of The Medicine, featuring nine cracking new soul and Americana-inspired blues, primarily written by Fennell, with sparkling production by Colin Linden. Recorded at Pinhead Recorders in Nashville by Michael Stankiewicz, Fennell is backed by an all-star band, including the likes of Linden on guitars, Bryan Owings, Gary Craig and George Receli on drums, David Santos and Johnny Dymond on bass, Michael Hicks, Kevin McKendree and Janice Powers on keyboards, and Ann and Regina McCrary on backing vocals. In addition, Jim Hoke adds saxophone to “Solid Ground”.
The album opens with an acapella half-verse before the band kicks in with a classic soul groove on “Freedom”, the positive life-affirming lyrics to which are reflected in a number of tracks. Fennell has a stunning voice, with a wide range, warmth, wit and intelligence, always conveying deep emotion and aching soul. There are hints of the great Angela Strehli in her delivery and her intelligence but she is very much her own woman. The band rightly focuses on providing propulsive support to the voice. “Stand Together, Band Together” is a soulful, minimalist track with an ear worm of a chorus (and a lovely nod by Linden to Leo Nocentelli in his subtle guitar playing). The glorious backing vocals of Ann and Regina McCrary add an irresistible gospel undercurrent to proceedings.
The title track is a heartbreaking tribute to a lost friend who “took the medicine until the medicine took you”, while “You Make Believe” is a beautiful soul ballad about unrequited love that somehow manages to spin a positive ending to a tale of wistful un-appreciation. “Running Again” has another catchy chorus, driven by McKendree’s understated piano and organ. The album does not contain a vast number of solos, but Linden’s solo on this track is a joy.
One of the most striking tracks on the album is “Smith’s Bay Drowning”, a haunting true story poem set to an Irish folk melody by Fennell’s music mentor Suzanne Pasternak about a 1960s boating tragedy that took place in the island community of Prince Edward County. Fennell’s vocal performance is quite outstanding in its restraint and power.
The final track, “Remember This Song”, is a powerful, uplifting slow blues, with some excellent jagged guitar from Linden.
There are no flat-out rockers on The Medicine, with the pace tending towards the slower end of the spectrum, but the quality of the songs and the performances make this a highly pleasurable listening experience.
If your preferences lean towards soul-blues, you will want to check out Miss Emily.
