All That Emotion

The small fragments of setup and sense are missing altogether from some tracks, relying on a fragmented internal monologue that doesn’t travel far beyond Georgas’ own psyche. Luckily, the mood music of All That Emotion is moving and compelling enough on its own terms. Georgas won’t get a fraction of the attention enjoyed by her producer’s previous client, but she deserves at least some of the same kudos.

Georgas gives listeners the bittersweet beauty of recalling turning seasons and turning points on All That Emotion.

[Producer Dessner's] immersive production, including layered keyboards and twinkling harmonics, pairs perfectly with her elegant voice. [Sep 2020, p.29]

It's a record that may require this kind of attention to detail to fully appreciate, but even absent that, All That Emotion is an elegant exploration of soft atmospheres as well as human behavior.

Though Emotion is refined, it also isn’t different from Dessner’s other production work—it’s still musically reticent, covered in fog. Its clarity originates in Georgas’ ability to process what she’s feeling, and spending 40 minutes in her head as she figures things out doesn’t feel suffocating.

There’s a sense of raw vulnerability, of fear, loss, and hope all presented quite beautifully, and in a gentle, considered, and reflective way. However the gentle sparsity of the production and contemplative delivery adds to the overall feeling that it’s all a little one-paced and as a body of work it never quite opens its wings and soars.

These 11 songs balance mainstream appeal (Someone I Don’t Know) alongside an intimate sense of being cocooned with someone who has plenty of worth to impart.