The Anchoress - Confessions of a Romance Novelist

[BlodwynPig]

Fantastic album.

Proggy in a Kate Bush sense. i.e. Pop with complex or non-standard arrangements. Also packed full of great melody and deftly handled emotion.

However, just going back over the album and playing "snippets" to pick out the best songs to post here, I realise that a lot of them in isolation or part of the songs have very familiar tropes - modern indie pop tropes - often the same as I am very much adverse to, generally.

Thinking about it - why are these same tropes appealing here.

Well, firstly, as a unified album, it really does flow nicely along and switches gears and genres well. Secondly, her voice is wonderful, does not grate and drives those tropes to greater heights.

So, a recommendation, but I'll let curious people seek out the music.

[Johnny Textface]

Paul Draper involved in this?

[Brundle-Fly]

Yeah, really assured debut album. Quite a talent.

[buzby]

Paul Draper involved in this?

Yes, co-producer. She's currently working on the follow-up with Bernard Butler.

[Brundle-Fly]

 She's definitely channeling Slade or Madness here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7tuRvf1sqY

[The Plunger]

Excellent album, agree that it works better as a whole and individual songs don't necessarily stand up on their own.

Check out her many covers under her 'Catherine AD' moniker on YouTube. I particularly like this Hurts cover :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4V3UGUDAhM