Amy Elizabeth Quinn – To Leave Or Be Left Behind (Album Review)

Amy Elizabeth Quinn is a singer and songwriter from St Louis, Missouri. She writes honest and poignant songs about recovery, identity, mental health and survival. Her musicality is pretty authentic and to-the-point, with a flair for making her audience feel safe and included while creating a fun and emotional environment.

Her newest release, ‘To Leave Or Be Left Behind’, is another delectable addition to her repertoire of releases. It was entirely written and performed by her, herself. The tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Ryan Wasoba. Additional credits go to Kate Wakefield for her cello work on ‘Crash’, ‘Across This City’, ‘Part of You’ and her vocals on ‘Part of You’ as well, as well as Olive Schulte, Adri Odenthal and Michaela Kuba for their group vocals on ‘Gender Apathetic (Lately)’.

Throughout the album, I have to commend the apparent general trend that goes on. It is filled with vocals as well as lyrics that are pretty personal, and hard-hitting to not just the artist’s experience but many other people as well. It is immensely relatable to people who have to go through similar strife, coming out victorious- in the form of transforming their metaphorical scars into formidable bodies of work.

The songs with cello work in it, especially the ones credited to Kate Wakefield, definitely help to elevate the listening experience by adding an additional sonic experience. It enhances the experience, by giving it a more multi-dimensional feel.

My problem though, is the tone of the vocalist’s vocals with a primarily isolate soundscape. When the additional quirks of ‘extra instrumentation’ is not present, I don’t think it presents itself with much harmony in tandem with a more mellow acoustic instrumentation. I think there is a charm to the artist’s vocal tone and delivery though, I just think it suits a more robust and richer instrumentation in order to accentuate her ferocity and intent in terms of delivering the message. I admit though, that this parallel may also be intentionally stylistic- there is a niche for stronger vocals being put against a mellower soundscape for the lyrics to hit harder.

Overall, I do sense a very ‘authentic’ and non-commercial vibe from the artist itself, and I think that demands intense praise. It’s quite rare to get this form of artistry these days, that oscillate between the lines of folk and rock. If you have an ability to empathize with people, you’d definitely be able to connect with the album- that’s the only requirement you need to appreciate this body of work.

Score/Good: ‘To Leave or Be Left Behind’ is a raw, stripped down and intense album that combines the charm of authenticity with stories that will definitely resonate with people. It has a very poignant role in the world of music.

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