Emma Pollock: Watch the Fireworks

Emma Pollock: Watch the Fireworks
4AD: 9/11/2007

Debut solo records can be risky. When an artist's reputation has been built upon the work of a much beloved band like The Delgados, the first steps toward defining one's solo identity can be boring (Jason Isbell - Drive-By Truckers), disastrous (Travis Morrission - The Dismemberment Plan) or a daring and brilliant reclamation (Lou Reed - you should know this one). Luckily, in the case of Emma Pollock, the result is closest to the latter. Watch the Fireworks is no Transformer, but it reaffirms Pollock's strengths as a singer and songwriter. Every song grows more likeable with every listen. Watch the Fireworks may just earn a place in the pantheon of well-loved female rock gems along the likes of Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville and Kate Bush's Hounds of Love.