Ill be honest, when I first played this album, I really didnt like it. I even rolled my eyes. The second play made it more tolerable...and the third time, I thought I was listening to something completely different. Id overlooked Garmesons love for straightforward and modern lyrics coupled with cheery acoustic flair.
Gemma Garmeson is originally from Liverpool but has been in London for almost the last decade. Shes been gigging the live scene there relentlessly since 2006 and claims shes good at maths, sees music as mathematical, and therefore its only natural she is musical. Makes sense to me. Gemmas been playing piano and guitar by ear since she was young, becoming a big Leonard Cohen fan, only starting to write her own material 3 years ago aged 29. From there, our charming songstress graduated to open-mic nights which then evolved into her own gigs.
Stalking For Dummies is Gemmas debut album recorded simply for posterity. The songs themselves are short stories, humorous in places, regaling simple events in daily life. Her varying approach from track to track can be gentle, to a little bit fierce. She sounds really sweet but in actual fact, shes really giving whoever shes singing to what-for.
Gemma sometimes like shes making it up as she goes along, but her melodies remain catchy. Shes honest and succinct, Flip Flop singing about meeting a stranger and considering thanking him via The London Paper. In I Dont Want To Be Your Number Two, Garmesons frank lyrics continue with I wanna love someone who cant believe his luck.
Stalking For Dummies is mostly an acoustic album, with a very summery daytime feel, but Skin comes with a stronger backing beat and guitar for extra measure, mixing the collection up a bit.
Stalking For Dummies, the albums title track, is a catchy little number, but unfortunately Gemma sounds sounds like your mum singing about texting and Facebook. Its just not right.
The album makes for an excellent debut; Gemma Garmeson is fresh and her lyrics are punchy. Shes not going to start a revolution any time soon, but well give her time.