Ginny-If I'm not loving you; eeee Records 012; 2023

 

On occasion, Disaster Amnesiac receives music for review which falls outside of my usual lanes. While some other bloggers would probably beg off of the task, I enjoy having to stretch the perceptions in order to engage with musical productions not necessarily geared toward mine. Case in point here: If I'm not loving you from Ginny, an artist who it is assumed resides in Italy. eeee Records sent me a copy for listening, and naturally I dug in. 

Quite the pleasure to have done so, too. Ginny shows herself to be an emerging talent, coming from the Singer/Songwriter area of musical production. If the promo sheet is to be believed, the songs that make up If I'm originated from her sketches, ones that were brought into a studio (where the recording engineer is clearly very skilled) and fleshed out into more fully realized tunes. The resultant work, featuring "uncertain language, halfway between dream and reality", floats compellingly from the speakers and into the ears. I for one am very glad to hear works from the Singer/Songwriter aesthetic that feature cool flourishes such as the glassy percussive sounds on Apology Cards or the rich cello chords of 5 More Minutes. Ginny's guitar playing makes for perfect frames for her lyrics, the best of which reads "I'll make myself seem small/just to fit in your back pocket" on Back Pocket; that seems pretty romantic to me, and it suits the overall tenor of the lyrical topics on the entire album. Humble, quiet, but slowly burning love I'd say. If I'm not loving you could be a great album for listening while chilling out or traveling with your honey, this much is clear. Disaster Amnesiac's most notable experience with it was the way in which it delicately framed a morning spent sipping coffee and watching a neighbor from across the street pull weeds. That may sound mundane, but, with If I'm playing it took on aspects of the sublime. Plus, its songs echoed in my head for hours after listening. 

One bit of criticism that Disaster Amnesiac would like to bring up is that Ginny's vocal inflections at times seemed a bit derivative of other singers. That said, I'm sure that as she writes, performs, and records, Ginny's personal voice will emerge even more. 

Get on out there and do it, and send along your results, they won't go unnoticed at this blog. I will probably have to pull myself away from my characteristic odd sounds, but, as stated, it's good to get of your lane once in a while.