This album gets a very jittery start in the form of “As A Man”. I have to give Anna credit, she really does a fantastic job of bringing in a whole lot of different sounds into her style, from Punk Blues to Gothic Rock and more. And a whole lot of it comes off genuinely great. Her vocals are absolutely jaw-dropping here, if you’re a fan of Savages’ Jehnny Beth, you’ll absolutely want to check this out. But Anna’s vocals at times are even more intense. There are some really cutting lyrical themes here that add to just how incredibly intense this track is. But Anna really makes it easy to swallow with some very epic instrumentals and a wide palette of sounds. This is the sort of cinematic intro I really hoped Anna would start with. Then we have “Hunter” which is just as cinematic and vast sounding, with some guitar licks that will take any Twin Peaks fan back to the Road House. But this one is seriously sexy in an almost dangerous way. You have to give Anna credit, she’s really creating some of her most visually striking tracks to date. And honestly it’s wildly and emotional and intense. Her performances on this album are all just so striking, and this is absolutely one of the deepest of the bunch. Anna is really taking so much control of her performances, and it’s incredible. Not to mention, there’s still a slight blues edge after all of these years, which is fantastic. “Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy” on the other hand is one of the more artsy tunes of the bunch. This is just a really lavish Indie tune with some serious swagger to it. I see everything from a little bit of St. Vincent here to PJ Harvey, and so much in between. But Anna’s performance is just so seductive and wild. It’s also one of the most instantaneous tracks with very straightforward hooks and some of the albums most telling lyrics. It’s just so heartfelt and strangely colorful for Anna. Overall this is just a great freakin’ track. Anna, however, really loves keeping us on our toes. “Indies or Paradise” is a much more determined track with a very patient, intense instrumental. And yea, that’s made even more intense by Anna’s whispered, dangerous verse. But honestly, this isn’t nearly the gut punch that the first few tracks were. Anna’s performance is still wild and interesting. But it’s just not that same slap in the face with emotions. Anna’s performance while emotional seems a little held back here. And while I do like the very bluesy guitars and grim feel to it all, this isn’t nearly as artsy or lavish.
On the other hand, “Swimming Pool” is the exact opposite, and incredibly lavish and very delicate. I love the very whimsical guitars. It’s just so sweet and lush sounding, especially considering how abrasive some of the material has been here. Now, this one is interesting, as it brings in some elements of Baroque Pop, to an extent where Anna here sounds like a bluesier version of Lana Del Rey. But it’s just so haunting and mysterious, and Anna’s performance is just so visceral. For one of the lighter tracks here, it’s incredibly lavish and memorable. I have to give Anna credit at creating this tense, Rigid Feel to this album, which combined with her very chilling vocals make for some pretty unreal moments. But sadly, of all of the tracks here “Alpha” seems the most thrown together for me. The verses are dangerous and dripping in sex and all. But the chorus here is so dime-a-dozen, and this just sounds like it was stolen from any slightly dark Pop artist. I think there are a few elements to really dig here. But at the end of the day, this one is average at best in a sea of very visceral tracks. But “Chain” is a huge left turn from what we’ve heard so far and is just so minimal. Quickly, however, it does build up to the same sort of gigantic, mysterious Bluesy Alternative that this album has done so well. Anna’s wails are absolutely stunning, and there’s once again some serious swagger to it. But I think it’s just the amount of pain in the voice of Anna Calvi that makes tracks like this one so powerful. There’s also a part of me that reminds me a little of early Suede in a way. It’s haunting, powerful, and so damn cutting. Then we have the oddly bouncy “Wish” which is just full of life. But to be honest, at this point I did need this a little. Anna’s incredibly sharp and cutting performances, however, once again really steal the show. Here, she comes off so manic and agitated, practically sounding more like she’s in some Post Punk band half of the time. It ends up making this track come off so much more intense and genuinely wild. But it also has this incredibly whimsical and sweet chorus that comes off as euphoric. It’s a really fantastic breakup for this album filled with very intense slow-burners.
This album begins to wind down with “Away”, one of the most legitimately bluesy tracks that have come along in a while. Anna’s performance here is simply chilling, to almost unseen levels. And honestly, yes there isn’t that much more going on here. But in this case, it just makes you focus so much more on Anna, and it’s pretty incredible. It’s just such a delicate track, I feel like this would be more suitable playing over the end credits to some truly twisted Horror movie. But man, this track is powerful and wildly haunting. This album ends off with the strangely glistening and hopeful “Eden”, at least compared to other tracks here. Anna still sounds just as overpowering and chilling. But for me, this isn’t nearly as stunning. Her vocals are absolutely incredible, to the point where these may just be some of her best of the entire album. But at the same time, I’m not nearly into this very sunny instrumental that seems like it’s a little out of place. Even at it’s best, it just seems a little unfocused.
Rating: 8.0/10
Give A Listen To: ‘As A Man”, “Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy”, “Away”, “Wish”
Least Favorite Track: “Alpha”
Genre: Art Rock
Overall Thoughts: After slumping hard with her second album, this is the return to form that I really needed to hear from Anna Calvi. This album is fueled by very tense atmospheres and Anna’s incredibly cutting performances. It’s a very telling and emotional album for Anna, with one wildly emotional performance after another, and the bulk of it is her best material since her debut. Sure, there are a few tracks that seem just a little unfocused, but Anna Calvi is still back in the bluesiest, most dangerous way and I love it.
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