CD Review: "Afton" by Anni Rossi

Artist: Anni Rossi
Album: Afton
Label: 4AD Records
Rating:
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With a cutesy name like Anni Rossi, one expects something light and poppy. Instead, Rossi brings forth a swirl of loud plucky guitar and whiny, gravelly vocals. On her EP, Afton, Rossi pushes her voice out of her lungs like she is gasping for her last breath. Her sound is a mixture of Bjork and Regina Spektor, but less refined. The track “Venice” scrapes the air with gothic and moaning viola, as Rossi cries “Brick and stone/They all fall down” with imitation-Bjork hiccupping and squealing. “Ecology” is a curious song full of croaking organ noises about “Pretty bears who lost their checkbook.” With a voice that sounds purposefully warped, it is hard to weigh Rossi’s compositions seriously. The EP drones on, sounding like notes copied out of Rossi’s travel journal rather than lyrics thoughtfully written with a furrowed brow. Rossi’s map shows the possibilities of a rewarding road trip, but she seems to have taken a wrong turn down a poorly lit road.

- Review submitted by Danielle Kramer.