Lovely.
Emma Pollock hails from Scotland and was a member of the Delgados before turning solo. 'Acid Test' is taken from her debut solo album 'Watch The Fireworks' and was produced by Victor Van Vugt who has previously worked with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave and Beth Orton. Those names provide a good basis for hinting at the type of music Emma is creating – moody, original and never samey; although perhaps a little poppier than those aforementioned artists.
'Acid Test' has a hook-filled guitar opening swiftly followed by the arrival of Emma's instantly recognizable voice. It wouldn't be fair to call it an especially strong voice, but it does have an irresistible husky quality that blends extremely well with the often understated folk-influenced-indie of her backing music. The song has already achieved airplay on the BBC's indie station 6Music, and if the rest of Ms Pollock's is as catchy and polished she should be replacing Kate Nash as the nation's latest favourite female singer-songwriter.
First and only B-side 'Temporary Fix' is a quieter and moodier affair, less poppy than 'Acid Test' and perhaps more likely to attract fans from the hard-core indie camp who can't bear to listen to anything that could be described as "radio friendly". There is a build-up of angsty emotion throughout the track that prevents it from falling into the well-crafted but sadly dull and progression-less trap that many singer-songwriters enter on a regular basis. Overall, a very promising single that can only ignite further interest in its creator's forthcoming album.