Vocal Break

‘Reading Vocal Break felt like being round at a friend's house playing through a stack of records and talking about them until sunrise. Warm, clever, funny and deeply thoughtful, this is a rich work of feminist criticism with a beautifully light touch…I loved it.’ * Octavia Bright  *
‘An essential, eclectic, authentic exploration of the politics of women's voices. I loved it! It took me ten years to go from shy young girl to punk rocker, if I'd had this book I'd have got there much quicker’ * Viv Albertine *
'Compelling, scholarly, rousing… Elkin writes with the intimate knowledge and the passion of one who sings, and the scholar’s measured and listening ear. A pitch-perfect book' * Harriet Baker *
‘A thrilling, erudite exploration of the power of women’s voices, as artful as it is informed. The best kind of cultural criticism’ * Sophie Gilbert *
‘A lively and entertaining hymn to the female voice – its use, its artistry, its flaws, its triumphs, its sorrow and its rage. Elkin leaps from subject to subject with the smooth grace of a great vocalist moving between notes on a scale.’ * Philippa Snow *
‘A whirlwind if a book and a testament to sonic sisterhood. A compelling eclectic exploration of music from one of the finest voices of our times.’ * Darran Anderson *
Smart and brimful of enthusiasm, Elkin is fully tuned in to the mysteries of women’s melodies * Simple Things *
Exploring the interplay of music, power and gender… Vocal Break is a book about what music is for. Elkin sees it as a way of getting at something that is just out of reach, a way of finding out who we are * Literary Review *
Elkin is a skilled, versatile and intensely curious writer… [Vocal Break] is clever and original * Financial Times *
At the core of this book is not just sharp analysis but a deep appreciation for singing and how it represents expression and freedom * Guardian *