Canadian pop singer/songwriter, Carly Rae Jepsen, goes for disco gold on her fourth album, Emotion Side B.
The album is a bit of a curiosity, consisting of outtakes from her previous album, Emotion. That doesn’t mean second best, though, as many classic albums have been built on supposed rejects (Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You, Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti and The Beatles’ Let It Be). That’s not to say that Emotion, Side B is up to that lofty standard, but its slightly tarnished veneer can’t hurt Jepsen’s sticky-sweet, pop-rock personage.
Emotion Side B goes right for 80s’ edge instead. For the most impact, ignore the first track (First Time) and turn the volume up on Higher, the second song. The song is classic late-period disco-era angst, circa 1983. The dark chord pattern, low-end propulsion and Jepsen’s relentless delivery make the track a dark horse mini drama. The song is a great pace setter and rightfully belongs in the first slot.
Much of Emotion Side B seems to explore the same 80s’ aesthetic. This also means that it’s refreshingly clear of melodyne or autotune characteristics and brings Jepsen’s hook-heavy voice to the fore.
Jepsen looks to Madonna’s mid-decade output for inspiration but backs off on the diva’s love of shallow synth and drum machine grooves. Like the diva, herself, Jepsen looks to earlier eras for a creative nudge. Cry has a mid-1960s’ British soul sound set to a 1980s’ theme done from a second decade 21st perspective.
Emotion Side B is a vocally driven album and Jepsen’s feel for vintage electro-pop is remarkable, from the nightclub to the mall (Stone).
– Dean Gordon-Smith reviews the latest music in Street Sounds every Friday.