An Enchanting Set
Emmy The Great is a definite highlight of Friday at Latitude. She kicks off with 'MIA', filling the Sunrise Arena and wooded surroundings with sweet pop; the softly-spoken singer soon has the crowd hanging off of her every word. The singer is joined by a full band, including guitarist Euan who is celebrating a birthday, so the crowd soon join in with a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" in his honour. The band are also communally celebrating their 1st anniversary, which is another cause for impromptu celebration. Single, 'Gabriel' is a popular tune with its violins and tender melody that soars across the forest with glittering, twee keyboard embellishment. 'Easter Parade' with its beautiful lyrics, "Gloria in excelsis, But there's no, there's no hope", dripping in religious cynicism and divinely stunning vocals, silences the onlookers and is most definitely the gem of today's set. Another song that references Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' and is reminiscent of Damien Rice's 'I Remember', with a fierce string crescendo spirals to giddy peaks. Emmy's deeply personal and introspective tunes inspire an air of calm fascination today, with the audience hanging on her every delicate word and taking in the sweeping melodies. It would be fair to say that everyone who witnessed today's performance went away feeling inspired, or at least uplifted.