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Click on the turntable on the left to listen to a continuous stream of music featured on Pretty Much Amazing - updated every day. For more, you can check out the Best Songs of 2011, or our Best Albums of 2011.
We don’t do enough of these up-and-comers posts. Let’s fix that. Harriet Smith is a lovely, soulful find hailing from Southampton, UK. Miss Smith delivers the hauntingly beautiful* melodies in the same bittersweet vain as Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls, and Missy Higgins. Harriet just loves to write and play music and she’s been working on her own stuff for a while.
Out of the tracks I’ve heard, two really stood out. The first, “Manner of Speaking,” is a seductive and luring song about showing what you mean without really saying anything. Indeed, Harriet Smith reminds me of Martina Topley Bird‘s sly, sexy, and seductive stylings. “Modern Culture” picks the tempo up and wraps up to be a pretty mellow, toe-tappin’ song. Maybe it’s just that I’m writing this at a Starbucks, but damn — this is fantastic coffeeshoppe music. Alert the media, Harriet Smith tastes delicious with coffee.
* I know these two words put together is the biggest cliche in the book, but it’s the only way I can describe Harriet Smith
Listen to “Manner of Speaking” and “Modern Culture” after the jump
Harriet Smith – Manner of Speaking
by on February 25, 2009 ‡ 0 reactions
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Manner of Speaking is a cover of Nouvelle Vague
Sarah is correct. It is a cover, and not a very good one either.
@Sarah: Oh, thanks for pointing that out! I didn’t know that.
Ouch, so harsh Jake… I think these songs are lovely, very mellow. Totally great coffee music, Luis!
It’s a fine cover, I’ve always had a thing for acoustic female vocalist. Very nice find.
Yeah I’m gonna have to agree with Jake. The Nouvelle Vague version is way better.
here the original:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2xs8NauMNk
just to make things clear… nouvelle vague is a cover band.. who covered the song from a band called tuxedomoon…
i take no credit for the song.. i just made a different arrangement that i liked… its in a different key.. with a different format..
also, thank you for such kind words! it means a lot!
Harriet
I’m from Southampton UK too, I never heard of Harriet Smith. She must suck, I’ll listen to her track and get back to you. Southampton is not really a good music place you know.
Ooh smooth, I like it. She does not suck. Yay.