Rating: NNNN
For her second album, London-based singer/guitarist Anna Calvi headed to Dallas to work with producer John Congleton (a key collaborator on St. Vincent’s last two solo albums). The resulting differences from the tightly coiled, cinematic sound established on her 2011 self-titled debut are conversely subtle and glaring.
The Texas connection might be behind the distinctly old-school western vibe on songs like Sing To Me and Bleed Into Me. Calvi’s high-drama aesthetic still rests on intimate and icy vocals, precise guitar lines and serene classical interludes, but she is more willing to dirty up her pristine Fender Telecaster with torturous distortion and reverb-drenched rawness.
The album is as focused as its predecessor (both are 45 minutes), but it is emotionally more expansive. Practically punk-rock Love Of My Life makes the heaviest impact Carry Me Over’s trembling strings and swirling xylophone crescendo into tripped-out catharsis while the final songs’ eerie choral parts vanquish the violent mood swings like a desert wind.
Top track: Cry
