Stephen Fretwell's thunder has been rather stolen in the last few months as the all conquering James Blunt takes the sensitive male singer/songwriter ticket and sells a shedload of albums. The curly-headed Fretwell is a similar proposition to Blunt, but there's a darker edge to him which makes Emily a satisfying listen.
This is a heartfelt ballad, backed by acoustic guitar and strings featuring Fretwell's very Northern voice looking back on a relationship that appeared to be rather one-sided. The lyrics are, to be honest, a bit corny (the titular Emily was "the fire in my tree" apparently and is now "just a tragedy"), but the song's swelling chorus still makes this an affecting listen.
For the single release this has been remixed and sadly the stark beauty of the album version is lost, but the original is still included here as a B-side. If you're tired of Mr Blunt telling all and sundry how beautiful they are, Stephen Fretwell is well worth checking out.
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