| Annie--Don't Stop |
| Written by Neel Patel |
|
Neel Patel reviews the new Annie album, Don't Stop. Pop music is perpetually in poor shape, even today as Michael Jackson’s death emphasizes the void of true talent in the field. A glance at the Top 40 can show you why. Taylor Swift may be easy listening and enjoyable, but still sounds uninspiring and too much like she really is “Fifteen” (Kanye was right you guys); Lady Gaga’s music is intriguing and well-crafted, but may only be as popular as her image is, and once the novelty is gone who knows how appealing it will still be; Britney Spears has made a great comeback, but in the process she sounds less authentic and even more like a simple figurehead of the production; since when did sounding boring equate success (Owl City)??; the Black Eyed Peas and Jay Sean have turned annoying repetitions into club anthems; I resent having to know who Justin Bieber is; Miley Cyrus is the latest in a never-ending assembly for bad music from an evil corporation; fuck Trey Songz. The only person worth listening to in the current Top 40 is Beyonce--and it’s not even her best work.Enter Annie. If there were a case to be made about the legitimacy of pop’s stance as a musical genre, Annie would be at the forefront of reasons why. So much of Annie’s brand of pop is reminiscent of Madonna: the way the songs aren’t wholly synthesized and could be played by live musicians; the blending of bubblegum with sophistication; an ability to deftly work using a wide range of production styles and still churn out something that sounds fresh. Making dance-pop into an art form, Annie’s songs are infectious and addicting, yet polished and refined. Don’t Stop is certainly an album that will make you want to hit the dance floor. Opener “Hey Annie” takes its cue from “Hollaback Girl’s” cheerleading beat, and starts out with Annie asking “Do you want more?” The answer can only be yes, and it delivers. Moving into “My Love is Better”, the track rips into a dance-rock riff reminiscent of Pat Benatar. It’s only fitting that Alex Kapranos (of Franz Ferdinand) guests on guitar for this song. Annie starts to boast about how much “better” she is than another girl, but one comes off with the sense that she’s not just talking about how great a girlfriend she’d be. Third track “Bad Times” sounds like a dance-inflected Phoenix song. “I Don’t Like Your Band” and “Songs Remind Me Of You” are the highlights. The hooks are crafted to have you floored and dancing. The album takes a softer, darker route in “Marie Cherie” and “Take You Home”, where Annie probably won’t have you dancing, but will still have you listening to something strange and fascinating. Even more strange is the throwaway track “The Breakfast Song”, whose inanity will either have you annoyed or smiling. The last three tracks are amazing, if even they all seem to sound like they could be wonderful album closers. “Loco” provides a very upbeat and charged finish, “When the Night” is soft and emotional, and “Heaven and Hell” is cheery and relaxing. Thank God Annie’s voice is as great as her songs are, because it is probably what is most appealing about her. Soft, seductive, charming, and overall wonderful, it never comes off as tiresome or annoying, as what happens too often to female pop singers. It’s an awful shame Annie hasn’t got the exposure that other pop stars do. Strike one against her is being from Norway. European pop (even British pop) has never translated well to the States. Strike two is the fact that she left major label Islands in favor of the independent (and still Norwegian) Smalltown Supersound. Strike three is age: Annie Lennox is already 32, and only has two albums released. It’s as hopeful as it is unlikely that this be her breakout work, because it’s certainly good enough to be. 4/5 wooves |
