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October 06, 2006
Emily Haines Stole My Heart
Who knew that inside indie heartthrob Emily Haines, lived the soul of a chanteuse? Best known as the singer for Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene, Haines has just released her first solo album Knives Don't Have Your Back on Last Gang Records. Over four years in the making, it's a luscious combination of piano driven melodies, sweet, breathy vocals, sinuous hooks, and dark subject matter. In contrast to Metric's energetic electro dance pop, Knives takes its time. Songs stretch languorously, creating an atmosphere of dark nightclubs, flickering candles, half-empty bottles of wine, and overflowing ashtrays. The overriding tone is one of melancholy, but it's sadness done so seductively, you'll smile as you're sinking.
Haines is performing a small number of solo shows to promote the CD and I had the pleasure of attending the first of two sold out gigs at Joe's Pub in the East Village. Joe's was the perfect venue for this show; an intimate room, with the aforementioned candles, and near-perfect acoustics. Tables lined the edge of the stage: in fact if we were sitting any closer, we'd have been in Haines' lap. Two other levels with couches and tables assured everyone an excellent view.
Haines walked onstage with her drummer and bass player, dressed in skinny black jeans, a blue Minnesota Northwoods t-shirt covered in paw prints and starbursts, low-heeled alligator pumps, and with her shoulder length blond hair tousled. She sat down on the piano bench and started to play. As befitting the hushed nature of the songs, the crowd was pin-drop quiet and attentive, lavishing applause and comments like "I love you Emily! Don't ever stop!" on Haines between songs.
After the first song, Haines rummaged through her purse, saying, "Every woman in the world can relate to this. I'm just going to turn off my cell phone." After further rummaging located the set list, she told the story of how the original video treatment for the song "Doctor Blind" included a ten-foot deep tunnel purse that she could endlessly dig though, but that budget restraints had downsized it to a blue shoulder bag.
Haines performed Knives in its entirety and even though the majority of the audience had to have been unfamiliar with the songs (we wouldn't illegally download a leaked album, would we?) each was rapturously received. This had everything to do with the spell Haines wove with her voice, piano, and between-song banter. She admitted that when she lived and waitressed in New York she used to walk past Joe's Pub and think, "Some day…"
She mused on "sexual suicide" – the subject matter of the song "The Lottery" – "Do you think it's about autoerotic asphyxiation? I'm taking a survey, because I'm not sure."
"Let's sing about death again," she said, before the last song of the evening, the album-closing "Winning." "Woo! Death! I feel so much better," Haines joked.
Images from the movies of Canadian director Guy Maddin were projected on a screen behind the musicians throughout the show. Their old-fashioned feel and arty black and white scenes added to the cabaret atmosphere. Each song title was also projected on the screen as it started.
All the songs on Knives are haunting and tap deep emotions. Haines isn't afraid to make herself vulnerable, yet there's no self pity. It's clear this woman has the strength to weather anything that comes her way, from knotty relationships to the death of her father, which occurred during the time the album was recorded.
Haines says in her press material, "Everywhere I’ve lived while working with Metric, I’ve written songs on the piano and played them for no one. On the advice of a friend, I decided I’d better start recording them before they were forgotten." Luckily for us, she did.
Posted by Laura at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)