Ebony Emili – ‘Handsewn’

EBONY EMILI – ‘HANDSEWN’

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Independent

There’s a question that’s often asked at dinner parties: “If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would you invite?”

The answers are usually diverse and frequently ridiculous. However, if the question was rephrased to, “If you could have dinner with any musician from Adelaide, knowing only one of their songs, who would you invite?” – suddenly the game becomes much more interesting.

For this writer, the answer would be Ebony Emili.

Why? Well, the response is a phrase found in her excellent lyrics in ‘Handsewn’: ‘rose-coloured glasses’. This expression suggests either seeing everything in a positive light or in rosy retrospection – that is, having a view that the past was more positive than it actually was. It’s especially intriguing. ‘Stupid damaged goods are just around for my good looks / I don’t mean for that to come across conceited...’ Simply brilliant.

Ring the dinner bell, the guest of honour, Ms Emili, has arrived to warm the listeners’ souls with witticisms and comedy, utilising her angelic voice and pop R&B soundtrack. What a delectable dinner.

Sounds like: Alanis Morissette’s ‘Ironic’ re-imagined by Nelly Furtado in a jazz lounge setting.

By Will Oakeshott