Released in 1999 as the follow-up to
Public,
Emm Gryner's brilliant major-label debut,
Science Fair was the first release on her newly formed Dead Daisy Records shortly after she parted company with Mercury Records. Intended as an experiment to try doing it all herself,
Science Fair was recorded, engineered, and produced by
Gryner over a 17-day period in the spring of 1999. Locations reportedly included a rented cottage on Lake Huron, the bedroom of her Toronto apartment, the music department of an Ontario University and her brother's Hollywood living room. The result is an impressive effort that sheds the full-blown studio production so evident on
Public and presents itself as a more intimate listening experience. The songs are beautifully crafted, the recording simple and clear, and
Gryner's voice is as mesmerizing as ever. An album such as this could be quite tedious in the absence of heavy production values, but
Science Fair has substance and succeeds in every way by relying on beautiful melodies, skillful musicianship, and the heartfelt performances of a remarkably gifted young artist. ~ Alan Ticheler