Emma Ruth Rundle – Some Heavy Ocean

In a similar vein to label-mate Chelsea Wolfe, there's a certain desolation and sparseness to Emma Ruth Rundle's sound that's both mysterious and alluring. The title track which opens her first solo record outside of her other bands Marriages and Red Sparowes is peppered with traces of subtle despair. Some songs feature more layered instrumentation, like the soft, swayful Run Forever, which features a bouncy, determined chorus, whereas others rely on reverb-soaked acoustics, like the quietly cathartic Oh Sarah.

 

“What have you gone and done?” she sings with gentle peril on Shadows of My Name. On Haunted Houses, she repeats the refrain “keep your distance from me,” and it sounds like a genuine, fearful warning. This is Rundle's most lyrically rich outing – her voice is given free reins to float above the instrumentation, and the results are simultaneously disheartening and comforting. This is an impressive, accomplished solo debut from a seasoned player.