Three totally killer songs kick off Maguire's debut. The throbbing The Real World; the utterly transcendent The Borderline ("If we are like water then which drop is me") and the captivating If I Could See You.

Think about that for a sec. Any singer/songwriter would readily revisit Robert's crossroads to sign a deal with the devil for an introductory salvo like that. Add the extremely sad fact that most artists today won't have three killer tunes in a lifetime and you can see and hear how far ahead of the game you are with Stranger Place.

Though it's easier here to spot her influences (Ani DiFranco, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant) than on her equally fine and defining follow-up Keep Walking, Maguire's striking, real world lyricism renders Sarah and Natalie mute, while her emotionally textured arrangements—brought to life by bassist Christian Dunham and drummer Shane Nesic—never wander into Ani-like self indulgence. Best listened to as a complete work of intelligent passion, other haunt-your-head tracks include Somebody, I Thought I Saw, Love Song and Stranger Place.
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She has the kind of vocals that will melt your stereo. Taking time out to record in Australia, Emily Maguire has released a smouldering hard-hitting and socially aware debut album. Breathless and slinky, her voice is similar to that of Sarah Harmer, Sinead O’Connor and Joni Mitchell. Blending her love of classical music [she is classically trained on cello, piano and flute] with passion for beautiful poetry, this singer-songwriter has released an organic album with simple acoustic riffs [‘The Borderline’ and ‘On The Radio’] and bluesy melodies [‘Stranger Place’]. If she doesn’t melt your stereo, she’s sure to melt your heart.
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In direct contrast to the girly-pop schmaltz currently infesting the airwaves, Stranger Place combines wisdom, hard hitting social comment and beautiful poetry. Blending her love of classical music with a passion for beats, basslines and acoustic guitar, Emily Maguire’s songs blur the boundaries between rock, folk and funk.  Although often referred to as a female Bob Dylan in lyrical terms, her musical influences range from Beethoven to Bob Marley via Joni Mitchell.  In so many ways Stranger Place defies categorisation… or spans musical boundaries instead.  From this debut album of original songs, it is clear that Emily Maguire is a consummate artist.
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When you listen to Stranger Place, you can feel the pureness and passion with which it was produced and completed. It is an observation, a story, and a hauntingly beautiful melodic voyage through the ebbs and flows of an individual’s existence in this world.  An English singer-songwriter now living in ‘the back of beyond’, Maguire’s style is a mixture of funky jazzy blues with some Joni Mitchell, Paula Cole and Natalie Merchant-style sounds. Stranger Place is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy a female acoustic sound with strong focus on the words and melody. And anyone who teaches themselves to play guitar using Bob Marley songbooks has got to be good!
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