Emma Louise is smart enough to know that having a breakout hit like Jungle brings with it as many challenges as it does opportunities. And that knowledge has never been far from her mind during the writing and recording of ‘vs Head vs Heart’. Produced in the Brisbane studio of Matt Redlich (Hungry Kids of Hungary, Ball Park Music) making the album has been an unhurried affair giving Emma Louise the space and time to try new ideas and stretch her imagination. Nothing was off limits. The first taste of the record came with last year’s single ‘Boy’ — a strikingly simple track that manages to straddle classic pop writing with a sense of understated exploration. The more you listen to that track, the more new layers keep revealing themselves — a theme that rings true across the whole album. Emma Louise doesn’t want to hit you over the head with big hooks, rather she wants her songs to draw you in, make you dig deeper and walk away with a lasting impression. Disposable is not in her vocabulary.
