PopSyndicate.com

With an acoustic guitar in hand and a love of soul/r&b and hip-hop, Emily King looks to make a name for herself with her debut, East Side Story. The daughter of two jazz musicians, it’s fair to say that music is in her blood, and she uses it to tell a variety tales of love, life, and everything in between. And if there’s any singular message King may be trying to convey, it’s that love, life, and everything in between are hard; you’re going to get beat down in a lot of ways, more often than not, but you can’t give up. You have to dust yourself off, and stay on your path.

Opening with “Walk In My Shoes”, King wastes no time with being subtle offering up the classic, if somewhat formulaic, “You don’t know how hard it’s been for me” anthem. People have doubted her, tried to dash her hopes and dreams, but through it all, she perseveres. The song is undeniably catchy, with a rich funk/soul bass line, and sassy and sultry vocals. The lacking in subtlety only continues with “Colorblind”, addressing the hardships of being biracial, and calling for racial tolerance. Not that it’s a bad song, per se, but this kind of “can’t we all just get along” wishful thinking can come off inexcusably contrived depending on the experience of the artist. Come to think of it, a more experienced artist should just know better than to even try and handle it.

East Side Story eventually finds its rhythm with a collection of well-crafted soul ballads. Songs like “U and I” and “Hold Me” manage to strike a good balance between being slow-paced but surprisingly energetic, with catchy melodies, without coming off too commercial. “E Melody” is slightly more uptempo and more of a display for King’s jazz-influenced vocals. Things quickly slow down with “It Was You”, with beautifully heartbreaking lyrics brought together with a masterful chorus. By now, King proves that she’s got an exceptional grasp of songwriting and musical talent, but we eventually get to another slight misstep on the album, “Business Man”. It’s another song that feels more like a contrivance than a genuine attempt at music with a message. Thankfully, East Side Story ends strong with “Ride With Me”, an inspired blend of blues/rock, R&B, and reggae. 

Even with its flaws, East Side Story is a solid effort from Emily King. I think she can only grow as a musician, and she’s already off to a good start. There’s already a great deal of maturity in her songwriting, and she’s equally strong as a vocalist. Most importantly, she knows not to let her music be overpowered by her old-fashioned sensibilities.

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