Absolutely everything about this album is right

If there were an award for the Netherlands' most versatile musician, composer, and arranger, Stephen Emmer would be a strong contender, as his career is diverse, to say the least. The time he spent in Minny Pops and active in the UK with The Associates, among others, is far behind him.

On his solo albums, he surprises time and again with an original approach and prominent guests. For Recitement (featuring spoken word, from 2007), he enlisted Lou Reed and Sylvia Kristel; on International Blue (an homage to epic pop à la Burt Bacharach, 2014), the singers of Ultravox, Cousteau, and Heaven 17 emerged as crooners.

Orchestral Soul

Home Ground is an ode to orchestral soul of the warm, slow kind. Naturally, no one doubts the vocal power of Patti Austin, Chaka Khan, Mary Griffin, and Leon Ware (who passed away after the recordings), but there is little colouring outside the lines. The bit more punch that Kendra Foster adds to Soul Glow and Frank McComb to Yesterday Oh Yesterday is more than welcome.

Emmer left nothing to chance for Home Ground. The refined mix by Bob Power (The Roots, Erykah Badu) and the mastering by Chris Geringer (Drake, Rihanna) prove that. Absolutely everything about this album is right. Perhaps even a little too much so. The intention behind it is undoubtedly sincere and well-meaning as well (a substantial portion of the proceeds goes to War Child), but it would have been nice if someone had vocally displayed some anger and given the whole thing a different kind of sharpness.

[OOR Magazine - Willem Jongeneelen]