Join the Swimteam with Emily Kinney

Emily Kinney – Swimteam
2023, Jullian Records

Like many out there, I first stumbled across Emily Kinney on The Walking Dead.  Her turn on that show was intriguing, as her character, Beth, grew from a frightened child into a warrior heart, and then she was gone.  I knew she had sung a few songs on the show, and thought she had a decent voice, but didn’t think about it further.  This past year I stumbled on a write-up of one of the EPs she had released over the years and became intrigued.  Over the course of a few months, I took in four EPs and two albums and was amazed at what I heard.

Kinney writes with a passionate, diary-like gusto that is both too much and never enough.  Her lyrical observations on relationships recall hours spent on the phone as a teenager listening to friends pour their hearts out over the twists and terrors or love, and yet…  there is something incredibly artful and poetic about it all.  Kinney’s voice is pritely and beautiful, and occasionally shrill in a child-like way.  She interprets her own experiences and stories with a vibrant bard’s bearing, while never letting go the innocence mission she lives in.

Songwriting is an art that is developed, and Kinney has shown steady growth over the years.  It’s safe to say that with Swimteam, she has hit her full stride as an artist.  Low-key but energy filled folk/pop rock tracks hold sway here, and Kinney drives each song with her voice and charisma.  “B or C for Effort” is the lead track, and a post-mortem on a relationship where everyone could have done a lot better.  The angst and observational depth of Lisa Loeb mix with Kinney’s own special brand of magic to make this the standout track of the album.  There is a lot of competition for that honor, however.  “Broken Air Conditioning” explores the realization that a relationship is dying, with some wry humor to turn the storyteller’s wheel. 

“Avett Brothers” muses on relationship keepsakes, while “Let Me In” serves as the entryway into a relationship, but with a few conditions.  “Everything On TV” explores, perhaps, the dichotomy of having career success while your personal life is falling apart.  All of these are told from the highly personal angle that Kinney writes from.  It’s startling at first, but endearing.  Some of the details are comical, in the way that only real life turns out to be.

Kinney will not bore you.  She doesn’t beat you over the head.  She writes and sings with finesse – with a storyteller’s ear, and melodies that please the ear.  It’s highly consumable music with a bit of magic in the margins.  Kinney has arrived as a songwriter, and is stretching her wings on Swimteam.  It will be fascinating to hear what comes next.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Visit Emily Kinney at https://emilykinneymusic.com/