by Steven Nathan
Getgigs.com
January 2003
Over the past several months, I have been listening to a cd called Inviolate sent to me by Emmaline Muchmore. I would listen to her cd, put it away for awhile as I listened to other music, but I kept coming back to her cd. I was drawn to Emmaline by her dynamic voice, strong sense of purpose, and desire to put her all out there for everyone to hear. While Emmaline had formal musical training on clarinet and piano, she is self-taught on guitar and vocals; and it is her strong vocal style that kept me coming back and will keep you coming back as well.

Strongly influenced by such female vocalists such as Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, June Christy, Lauryn Hill, Eryka Badu, Gwen Stefani, Dolly Parton and Anita Baker, Emmaline finds inspiration in various genres of music including groove-heavy electronic music and infectious pop. As Emmaline puts it “I am inspired by strong performers regardless of genre. I admire people that give it their all on stage, put on a show and connect with their audience.”

...What continues to draw me to Emmaline is the strength of her voice. I asked Emmaline if she was even aware of how powerful her voice was. As Emmaline told me, “people at my shows seem to be impressed and happily surprised to hear a strong female singer. Particularly in the independent music world, a strong singer that doesn’t get drowned out by her band is sort of rare.” It is not only the strength of Emmaline’s voice, but her confidence as well. When I asked Emmaline about her confidence, she responded that “the confidence you hear in my music comes from the fact that I really enjoy expressing myself with my voice and I am very comfortable inside my voice. I also really love to perform and to connect with the audience, whether live or on my recording. I feel confident in my ability to create a vocal line that will grab and hold people’s attention, and I strive for that connection and communication.”

Emmaline is a rare combination of sensuality and strength that I found infectious, and that I believe you will too.

Collected Sounds
Women in Music

May-June, 2002

www.collectedsounds.com

 

She's got a name that almost sounds like it could be out of a James Bond flick, and much like Mr. Bond's movies, the songs presented here on Inviolate are mostly hit and miss. But, when Emmaline hits, she hits hard enough to be a classic.

Emmaline's voice is a gem, filled with unbridled soul. So, when she gets a good song, nothing can stop her. Most of the memorable songs follow a smooth drum-n-bass type groove, using abstract hip-hop rhythms and beats---this is when she's at her best. Evie Slow Down is a great example with it's catchy progressions and mysterious sultry vocal delivery. It's a great mix, and the song just comes alive. Yet, the best song on the disc is by far Coming Down, a track that lets Emmaline's vocal talents shine. It utilizes the trip-hop beat without being overbearing, which allows her to sing her heart out. The chorus is super catchy and downright infectious. I couldnÕt stop hitting the repeat button on this one, and it is honestly one of my favorite songs from the past year.

The rest of the album is good, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't quite live up to the potential the best songs would suggest. With a little tweaking of her sound, Emmaline could easily be the next big pop star. Until then, grab this disc so you can say you heard her first.

MISH MASH Mandate: The Spy Who Grooved Me