On the follow-up to 2001's
Sweet Heart Fever
,
Emma Louise Niblett
(aka
Scout Niblett
) bestows listeners with more of her irreverent, lo-fi creations. The second song,
"No-ones Wrong (Giricocola),"
features some bluesy, early
Cat Power
-like brash instrumentation and a relentlessly focused vocal delivery, serving listeners with the warning that this 13-track disc is sure to be a bumpy ride, and it is. Early on and throughout,
Niblett
offers acoustic solo ventures, and intriguing ventures into
indie rock
with guitarist
Chris Saligoe
and drummer
Pete Schreiner
. Her sly, relaxed vocals on eerie efforts like
"Until Death"
and
"Fire Flies"
(featuring a whimsical eukelele) quickly stand out as
's strength.
"I'll Be a Prince (Shhh)"
"Boy"
surely conjure up comparisons to
PJ Harvey
, but such a correlation is not fair to either artist.
's uncanny knack for creating dizzyingly original and poetic songs keeps listeners interested simply because they know she is not one to give in to convention. Wildly creative guitar lines on
"Drummer Boy"
might serve as the crescendo of this rollercoaster of an album, as the song also includes
's most feverish vocals of the disc.
"It's All for You"
is an offbeat, unconventional drums-and-vocals riot that encompasses
's spirit. The title track ends the disc and serves as an exclamation mark on
's "love me or leave me" approach. As the eukelele chants behind her, she belts out a repetitive series of poetic affirmations, solidifying herself as one of the most unique voices in independent music. The British
embraced American
indie avant-garde
on
I Am
.
Steve Albini
recorded
at
Electrical Audio Studio
Secretly Canadian Records
released the disc in September 2003. ~ Stephen Cramer