Wow. Who knew, when I decided to put together my Top 40 Emm Gryner songs, (ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!!) that it would have taken me this long, and that my life would have changed to radically? And Emm’s songs have been with me this whole time, but as it stands lots has happened in the past several months which is way it’s been five months since I posted #’s 6 – 10.
In fact, in that time, I also spilled coffee on my laptop and lost my list, so I had to recreate my top 5! Turns out it wasn’t that difficult since… well, they’re my favorites. And in the battle between the perfect, heart-wrenching ballad, and the perfect, soul-stirring pop song, both of which Emm is a master, the pop songs win out, dominating the Top 5 (although one final ballad sneaks in at #5. It shows how two early Emm Gryner albums, Science Fair and AsianBlue clearly made me a huge fan decades ago, but her most recent makes a showing as well.
And now, without further ado, here are my top five favorite Emm Gryner songs! (At least for the past year…)
#5 – Stardeep (Science Fair)
The final ballad on a list with a lot of great ones. Emm sure knows how to write a heart-breaking ballad, this one driven by the assured strumming of an acoustic guitar that could come straight out of country song, until some piano power chords join in, and Enm’s fragile vocals emerge to tell the tale of a lonely young woman in love with someone from afar, or perhaps unrequited. I love the pick up form the verses to the chorus too… And how about this gorgeous, heart-breaking lyric? “You used to be just a phase, now the sound waves rush to surround you.” Haven’t we all been there?
Funny story… the first time I saw Emm perform live, long before I ever met her, in a tiny student union room with an upright piano and a few couches at U Mass Amherst, she performed a few songs, then asked if anyone had any requests. I asked for Stardeep… she started, stopped, started again, then asked me how it started! Well, sadly, I froze, I couldn’t sing the first line for her… so I didn’t get to hear her perform it, and I still haven’t. Maybe one day!
#4 – Imagination (Only of Earth: Days of Games)
Taken from her most recent album, part one of a proposed concept trilogy, you can really hear the maturity in Emm’s song writing and artistry with this homage to 70’s prog-pop music. This one retains the incredible pop hooks and turns of melody of which Emm is a master, but she pushes her vocals to new heights as she layers bass, keys, guitars and drums beautifully into a lush throwback that is at the same time beautifully modern. You can hear the Bowie and Gowan influences here, two of Emm’s past collaborators, and check out this fantastic video! Really Emm, what a progression you’ve made as an artist. It’s exciting and amazing.
#3 – Beautiful Things (AsianBlue)
This one and the following #2 song are spiritual twins, both from AsianBlue, both confident, hook-laden pop songs. Beautiful Things starts with an a capella phrase, then the repeating, back and forth keyboard/guitar part drives us to a soaring chorus, .with a fabulous underscored acoustic guitar part. The contrast between the verses and the chorus is startling and heart-stopping. I love the sudden break in the third verse where the rhythm section drops away and Emm sings with the back and forth driving guitar/keys line.
I get the sense that it’s about two people reconnecting from years ago having drifted apart for various reasons, but finding that there is still something drawing them together. It’s pop perfection, something that Emm has in spades. And check out bad-ass, rocker-chick Emm in this fantastic video!
#2 – Free (AsianBlue)
- Shimmery synths, a hip-hoppy backbeat, then a twisty, weaving bass line kick this glorious anthem off. Then a choppy, distorted guitar rips its way into the sing-songy melody (one of my favorite Gryner-tropes) before a soaring vocal swoops in, intercutting with the sing-song, and liberating the singer from a bad relationship. The sing-song part is the kiss-off to the ex, while the soaring melody is Emm’s declaration of freedom. Layered harmonies and electronic strings build the song with a thrilling crescendo before an abrupt conclusion. I love how it’s clear the ex has got a hold on her, but she’s had enough and she just wants to be free. Truly one of the most empowering and joyous break up songs ever written. Take that Alanis Morrissette.
#1 – Disco Lights (Science Fair)
Disco Lights has the distinction of containing not just one, but two of my favorite lyrics of all-time: “You’re forgettable like 1993,” and “My psychic says I have until December and then it’s love, love, love.” From the moment I first heard this song, with this insanely catchy ascending chord progression in the verses and the insanely clever lyrics, I just choke up from the pop perfection of this song every time I hear it.
What’s it all about? It seems to be a nostalgia piece, thinking about how a young life unfolds, missed chances, and how a dance floor can transform the mundane into the marvelous. I can picture a young Emm spinning around under a huge disco ball so clearly. It’s joyous, it’s melancholy, it’s filled with longing, it’s filled with regret. It’s everything.