Emilia - Big Big World (1999)

Refreshing, wide-eyed optimism best describes this debut recording from Emilia. The first track, "A Good Sign," is an uptempo celebration of life, delivered with sincerity and an engagingly happy sing-along chorus. "Big, Big World," the title song, is gentle and arranged as a pseudo-procession tune, as if Emilia is taking her first cautious steps toward independence and adulthood. Everything on this release, from the devotional "Daddy's Girl" to the Janet Jackson-sounding "Twist of Fate," is upbeat, danceable and overflowing with positive energy. Due respect is paid to the Supremes on "Maybe, Baby," a song that's an auditory throwback to a more innocent era. Recorded at Rodeo Records in Stockholm, Sweden and enhanced with contributions from the Stockholm Session Orchestra, Emilia's sunny sensibility and breezy presentation shine brightly throughout this pleasant offering.~Big Big World Review by Roxanne Blanford