
To our shame we only became aware of EMM GRYNER just a few months ago when she started releasing singles from her just released album, ‘Business and Pleasure’. The singles, ’Jack’ and ‘Burn The Boats’, were beguiling, blue-eyed soul confections and we naively assumed that the sweet-voiced Ms Gryner was a newcomer. Little did we know! It seems that the Canadian-Filipino singer/songwriter is a music biz vet with 20 albums to her name! Famously she’s been a member of one of David Bowie’s bands. She joined the Thin White one in 1999 as backing singer and keyboardist. Indeed she worked with him at Glastonbury and on the Jools Holland shows. Ms G has also worked with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and fronted a “hard rock” band, Trapper. Quite a CV but not one that would draw the attention of us here @ soulandjazzandfunk! That’s our excuse!
However, it seems that latterly Emm’s music has taken a more soulful direction – at least a blue-eyed soul/yacht rock direction. So those two singles, ’Jack’ and ‘Burn The Boats’, won plenty of attention, especially amongst those who espouse the sounds of contemporary bands like Mamas Gun and Young Gun Silver Fox and if that sound floats your yacht then the 11 track album , ‘Business and Pleasure’ offers plenty more. of the same.
Amongst the highlights is the breezy ‘Loose Wig’ – dare we say shades of Steely Dan both in the sound and in the enigmatic lyrics. ‘Strangers And Sinners’ is another standout. Here the source is definitely dear Burt Bacharach via Astrud Gilberto, very Rumer-esque! ‘Summertime’ (No, not that ‘Summertime’!) is brash and poppy with riff references to things like ‘Dancing In The Streets’ while on ‘Real Love’ (No, not that ‘Real Love’) Ms Gryner proves she can deliver sensitive as well as upbeat.
This ‘Business And Pleasure’ is an unprepossessing album but it’s wonderfully pleasant throughout and it would be sad to see it slip under the radar. It comes recommended if you’re a devote of blue-eyed soul, pop-soul or yacht rock or whatever this beguiling music is described as these days. Out now via Légère Recordings