Consisting of just three people - Autumn on vocals/piano/acoustic guitar, Jared Forqueran on drums/percussion and Adam Phillips on bass - the sound of Autumn & Empire belies the relatively small nature of the band. Formed just under three years ago, the band is eminently led by the charismatic Autumn. A singer-songwriter who's won various musical awards, her voice has been described as a mix of Dolores Claborne from cult indie band The Cranberries, and singer Fiona Apple. But although Autumn is the main focal point of Autumn & Empire, this would be to take away from the contribution of both Jared and Adam, who provide the music that lifts every song above the normal acoustic style that so many artists are guilty of falling into. Gentle enough to never be intrusive, yet powerful enough to fool your ears into thinking there are more than three people at work here, this is a trio of musicians who are so obviously at ease with each other. And it's this familiarity that shines through in the music of Autumn & Empire.
A perfect example of this is in the song Time For A Change. It starts with the gentlest of keyboards, melodious and yet intense at the same time. Then Autumn starts to sing, and at once her voice grabs you, and you can hear where the Cranberries comparisons come from. Although, as good a singer as Dolores Claborne is, Autumn's vocals have just that little bit more intimacy to them. The song itself tells of a woman who's been in an abusive relationship and has finally seen the light, and found the strength to leave. And as she sings so passionately, you wonder if Autumn herself is singing autobiographically, so heartfelt does she sound. This is emphasised by solid, intensive bass, which adds a feeling of menace to everything. Rounded off by slow-pounding drums, this is an impressive introduction to the sound of Autumn & Empire.
Another of their songs, Candy Girl, brings to mind early Alanis Morissette, circa Jagged Little Pill, and once again shows what could be classed as trademark Autumn & Empire - there's a distinct sense of brooding in their slow-building tunes of intense power, held together by the hypnotic voice of Autumn and the solid musicianship of her colleagues Jared and Adam. Yet the most impressive thing about Autumn & Empire is the way they can take a classic song and cover it to make it completely their own, which so many bands fail to do. Their version of True Faith by British indie/electronica legends New Order sounds so different in the hands of Autumn & Empire that you almost fail to recognise it, until the chorus kicks in. But this is no bad thing - indeed, what is normally a low-fi synth and keyboard song is transformed into a powerful lament, with Autumn herself making you believe that the lyrics were written specifically for her. Extremely impressive.
Still unsigned, this is one group of musicians that surely have a massive future ahead of them. With extremely positive reviews and word-of-mouth starting to generate about the intimacy of their live shows, and a debut CD imminent, the name Autumn & Empire may just be the next one to be dropped in knowledgeable music circles.
