Emma Blackery- Magnetised EP review

The wait is over!

After months of build up, with song previews and studio footage featuring in her YouTube videos, Emma Blackery's EP Magnetised is finally here.

Magnetised is Blackery's fifth EP release, and she has described it as "the best thing I've released". With its six incredible songs, it certainly lives up to expectations.

First up is 'Nothing Without You', which was released at the EP's first single last month. With a mixture of elements from Blackery's new sound and her previous EP, Sucks To Be You, this song works as the bridge between the two EPs to introduce fans into the Magnetised era. This one is guaranteed to get stuck in your head for all the right reasons and is a great opening to the EP. Check out the music video for 'Nothing Without You' below.

Next up is 'Fixation', a slower song that keeps with the break-up theme of the EP. There's a slight glimmer of Paramore shining through and Blackery's vocals are definitely focalised here. Despite its meaning, 'Fixation' is easy to listen to and great for appreciating Blackery's songwriting talent.

The highlights of the EP are 'Instead' and 'Don't Come Home'.

'Instead' began life as a one-take recording on Blackery's YouTube channel last year and was an instant hit with fans. The version featured on Magnetised has more dimension and depth with the addition of a violin, but is still a mostly acoustic track. Adding anything else to it would have changed the song's perspective, so leaving it as acoustic was a good decision.



The song I've been anticipating the most is 'Don't Come Home'. Again, this song was originally uploaded onto Blackery's YouTube channel, however it was professionally mixed by Arthur Walwin rather than being a one-take recording. The new version on Magnetised has a completely different sound and echoes something Ellie Goulding would release. It has been sped up slightly, with a disco-style drum beat to carry the song along. The two versions sound like different songs and should be treated as such and not compared. A very worthy addition to the EP that definitely lived up to the hopes surrounding it. The lyric video for the Magnetised version was released last night:

Overall, Magnetised is a fabulous EP which deserves high praise. It will get you dancing and singing whilst pulling at the heart strings at the same time.

To get you even more in the mood for new Emma Blackery music, the Magnetised tour begins tomorrow. Check out the dates:

May
27th Button Factory - Dublin
28th O2 Academy2 - Liverpool
29th Tramshed - Cardiff
31st Northumbria University - Newcastle

June
1st Garage - Glasgow
2nd Waterfront - Norwich
3rd O2 Institute2 - Birmingham
4th O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London

You can buy the EP from Amazon here, or listen to it on Spotify here.



Copyright: Emma Blackery Ltd

Emma Blackery releases Magnetised music video

Emma Blackery has released the music video for the title track of her upcoming EP, 'Magnetised'.

The video was released yesterday evening (May 11th). It features Blackery as a wrestler who falls in love with her trainer, before realising that he is in a relationship with her sparring partner.

As well as Blackery herself, professional UK wrestler Lana Austin and Iain J Christ also star in the video. It was also directed by Sitcom Soldiers, who have also worked with All Time Low, Feeder and Sleeping With Sirens.

You can watch the video below.

'Magnetised' is the second single and music video to be released from the EP, as 'Nothing Without You' was released a month before (April 11th).

As well as the release of Magnetised, Blackery is also going on tour later this month. Check out the tour dates below.

May
27th Button Factory - Dublin
28th O2 Academy2 - Liverpool
29th Tramshed - Cardiff
31st Northumbria University - Newcastle

June
1st Garage - Glasgow
2nd Waterfront - Norwich
3rd O2 Institute2 - Birmingham
4th O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London


And in case that wasn't enough, a Feel Good 101 book will be released on September 7th, which will be based on Blackery's popular YouTube series.

Both Magnetised and the book are available to pre-order.

SayWeCanFly at Satan's Hollow, Manchester 1/5/17

Bank Holiday Monday (May 1st) saw the Canadian musician SayWeCanFly (Braden Barrie) return to the UK for the start of his Storyteller Unplugged tour. Manchester was the first stop, hosted in the magnificent venue that is Satan's Hollow.

It's honestly as though Halloween never ends there- there's skeletons and Frankenstein's monsters everywhere, and the merch corner looked like a graveyard. It was incredible!

And to match the awesome venue was the music. Supporting Braden were One Way Street and Critics, and both are deserving of high praise.

One Way Street opened and set the tone for the rest of the evening. This was the band's first acoustic gig as their usual set up is much heavier. The York trio comprises of Zac Roughton on guitar and vocals, Jake Roughton on drums (or a cajón in this case), and Bryn Portas on bass. Their set was made up of a few of their own songs and a cover of Blink-182's 'Dammit', which was accidentally played in the wrong key but sounded great all the same. Their sound is very similar to Blink-182's, so if you like that then you should check them out.

You can check out the band by going to their Facebook page, and support them by buying their EP, Secrets.

Next up was Critics, another trio but with a completely different sound. The band, from London/Essex/Nottingham, comprises of Lynn Paighton on vocals, Jack Lawson on guitar, and Jamie Lowes on keyboard (and usually synth). Simply put: if Panic! At The Disco were in the room then I doubt you could tell the difference. Their song 'Famous' was amazing and they got the audience ready for SayWeCanFly.

Watch the music video for 'Famous' below.

Check out Critics via their Facebook page and have a listen to their EP. Spilt Milk.

After a quick move around of the set, and two guitars positioned ready and waiting, Braden Barrie came on stage ready to perform an incredible SayWeCanFly acoustic set.

The first six songs were played plugged, with Braden's wonderful voice filling the room. He opened with 'Dandelion Necklace', followed by my personal favourite 'Song of the Sparrow'. 'I Didn't Know' and 'Bruise My Bones' also immersed the venue in beautiful music, followed by a cover of The Weeknd's 'Starboy'. Watch my recording of 'Song of the Sparrow' below (sorry for the bad quality!).

When he said unplugged, he literally meant it: the microphone was switched off and the wire unplugged from his guitar. This did mean that the audience had to be quieter during his songs but, with a relatively small crowd, it also made the gig so much more intimate. Braden's voice is amazing and raw, and he definitely made each song wonderful without the added volume.

'The Art of Anesthesia' and 'Seventeen' were crowd favourites, with everyone singing the lyrics back to Braden. It was so lovely to see the genuine love Braden has for his fans and how much he means to them.

'Intoxicated I Love You' brought the set to a close as everyone sang louder than they had done for the rest of the set. You can check out the full setlist below.

get ready for some throwbacks. flying to the UK this weekend to start my fav tour of all time. #storyteller 😘 pic.twitter.com/MK5C2N9e2I

— Braden Barrie (@SayWeCanFly) April 25, 2017

To document the tour that Braden has put so much into, he took a photo of the audience after his set had ended. Can you spot me?

Had to wait for wifi but seriously Manchester was incredible. I've waited to do a completely unplugged tour for ages. More to come ❤️

A post shared by Braden Barrie (@saywecanfly) on May 1, 2017 at 4:11pm PDT

It was such a brilliant show from start to finish, and I was lucky enough to say hi to Braden and One Way Street's drummer Jake after the show.

I can't express enough how fantastic Satan's Hollow is- if you're about in Manchester and like Halloween-y/creepy things, check it out.

Go to SayWeCanFly.net to find information about the Storyteller Unplugged tour including the upcoming dates, as well as loads of music and merchandise.


Photo credit: Braden Barrie?