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Concert reviews Music

Anna Calvi kicks ass

ANNA CALVI at Lee’s Palace, Thursday, December 8. Rating: NNNN


Anna Calvi already had a reputation for intense live shows, but her second Toronto appearance this year (she played the El Mocambo May 27) easily managed to exceed those already high expectations.

She can sing her ass off, and plays guitar like she may have sold her soul in exchange for supernatural skills, but she wisely restrains herself from making her technical abilities the centrepiece of the show.

Instead, she focuses on understated tension and dynamics, only occasionally letting herself off the leash to show off, which made those momentary pyrotechnics even more powerful. Her sudden shifts from gentle strumming and almost-whispered vocals to blazing guitar solos and spine-tingling wails knocks you on your ass every time, even when you know it’s coming.

The drawback of her growing live capabilities is that it’s beginning to make her self-titled debut album feel underwhelming in comparison. Hopefully when she goes back in the studio, it’ll be with a producer that understands that there’s no point in trying to tone down her dramatics and cramming her dark bluesy dirges into a pop-friendly format.

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