(Doily/MGM)

Brisbane chanteuse puts “quality” in “quirky” on sophomore album

Let me start with an upfront declaration: I’ve never been a cabaret-pop fan. Acts like Dresden Dolls and Amanda Palmer don’t do anything for me and neither do pancake, trilby hats and other genre cliches. That being said, I won’t be the first to openly acknowledge that for all her flamboyance, local songstress Emma Dean is a talent to be reckoned with. Having established herself as a formidable creative force with 2008’s Real Life Computer Game, the flame-haired soprano hits full blossom on her second LP Dr Dream And The Imaginary Pop-Cabaret. As ever in charge of the piano and violin, Dean is backed by bassist John Turnbull and her drummer brother Tony, with fellow theatrical-leaning muso Ben Stewart helping out on the acoustic guitar, drum programming and backing vocals. A gifted singer to begin with, she is in superb lyrical form here. “Dr Dream has a way of twisting the truth dear... he says ‘there’s nothing wrong with dialogue between yourself and an imaginary friend or three’, the siren confides on the opening Emma Dean Meets Dr Dream. Sincerely Fearful is an open admission of inner dread set to racing music-hall piano, Stuck In The Mud transpires to be a widescreen pop number and Something They Can Hold – led by a delicate “heartbeat” pulse – gradually unfolds into a song of pure grace and power. If anything, Emma Dean’s art offers a much more intriguing and beguiling proposition than her previous employer – the crossover success Kate Miller-Heidke.

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DENIS SEMCHENKO

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