Singer/songwriter Gouette is a staple of the busy New London, CT scene and its documenting Cosmo label, appearing on its various scene compilations, and issuing three singles and now two LPs for the imprint. Because he’s recorded alone in his own studio for a decade playing the instruments himself, Emeline represents selections from nine years of his pop-rock vision, and it’s a little drier/demo-y than standard issue indie pop. , Had he been recording for ATCO 35-40 years ago instead of an ‘00s indie, these basement production values (like ‘80s TASCAM portastudio recordings) might have kept strong songs such as the ringing-guitars and “ahhhhhhh” backing vocals-fed “I Want to Thank You” or “Spinner” and “Beside Myself” off the charts in the early-‘70s. But if you grew up with “Hello It’s Me,” “It Never Rains in California,” “Jackie Blue,” “Everything I Own,” and “Seasons in the Sun,” or see the connection to today’s Pernice Brothers, you’ll immediately get the little tug of Gouette’s voice so ingrained in that era’s soft rock melancholy. Elsewhere, he incorporates minor twinges of folk (“Moon is Low”), country (“Glorious You”), dancepop (“Opinion”), garage pop (“Let That Tower Fall”), and chamber pop (“Marianna”) to round out an unusual repertoire; but whatever style he works in, oldies pop is his métier. (hozomeen.org)
