Anja McCloskey - An Estimation
Artist: Anja McCloskey
Album: An Estimation
Label: Sotones Records
OUT NOW
Rating: 3/5
Anja McCloskey has been grabbing everyone’s attention this year with her sultry and rather unique music and this week she releases her debut album An Estimation.
It is absolutely impossible to categorise of pigeon hole this singer-songwriter as she mixes a whole host of genres and moves between different moods.
Opening track Decision shows of her violin skills as he fingers fly over the strings and build to a crescendo in this instrumental piece.
From this opening 1minute 40 second track you know that you know that you are going to get an album that is different to anything you have heard this year - not to mention that this is a brave way to kick off a record.
There is a real organic sound to Buddenbrooks as we hear McCloskey’s vocals for the very first time. The stark sound of the piano at the beginning of the track beautifully compliment the operatic sound to McCloskey’s voice.
The two elements are almost woven together throughout the song as McCloskey moves between lightness in sound and tone to something a little harsher - the contrast works well.
There is a folkier element to Italian Song as the violin kicks in and it is a track that has more of a jolly energy to it.
McCloskey shows the power and the range of her voice on this track as she shows that it is not all about the operatic sound of the previous track.
There are elements of darkness on this album and Tornado is a perfect example of this as the heavy instrumentation create a real atmosphere from start to finish.
An Estimation is an album that is as much about the instrumentation as it is about the vocal and the son-writing as the range of instruments give the record a very eclectic sound.
This is an album that will evoke many emotions as McCloskey has delivered a record that is romantic, fun, uplifting, powerful and dark as she has moved effortlessly between genres.
It’s is not hard to see why people are getting excited about Anja McCloskey as she has a unique and beautiful voice but this album will not be to the taste of everyone and may struggle with a mainstream audience.
Anja McCloskey - An Estimation is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw