Review: Anni Rossi - Rockwell (2009)

Review: Anni Rossi - Rockwell (2009)

Anni Rossi

Rockwell [4AD - 2009]
Rating: 7.8/10

Annie Rossi has been plagued by (and praised through) endless comparison. Not a review goes by that doesn't immediately situate her among Final Fantasy, Regina Spektor, and/or especially Joanna Newsom. And while this triumverate is most certainly fantastic company (and would surely make a brilliant album if they ever to collaborated), I tend to think that focusing too heavily on the various parts distracts from the mysterious and piercing beauty of the whole.

The Good: Her debut full length, Rockwell (4AD), is as chilling as it is short. Her instrumentation is extremely sparse which makes the fact that she is consistently praised for her ability to captivate audiences with her nonchalant and intriguing stage presence all the more impressive. To the detriment of each of her previous releases (2007's Scandia and last years Afton) the energy of her live shows was more or less lost in the sterility of the studio. This time, in addition to toning down some of her vocal quirks, she enlisted the help of legendary producer (insert Newsom comparison here) Steve Albini with aim to capture the detailed interplay between her vocals and instrumentation.

Rossi, a Minnesota native who resides in Chicago by way of L.A., is as nomadic musically as she has been physically. For example, the track entitled "Venice" begins sounding like middle eastern folk music until working its way shortly toward the song's chorus of a downcast march with a strikingly beautiful string melody. From there she displays her viola talent by playing music that I could hear Yo-Yo Ma covering on cello and yet simultaneously resists classical formality by makes a noise that sounds like a little kid imitating a motor boat. If you aren't consumed by her quirks at this point, Rossi is probably not for you. Throughout the album her restless vocals rise and fall, punctuated by piercing falsetto jumps and dissonant bends that consistently threaten to fall out of tune in a way that would seem lazy if it wasn't so manically effortless. Unafraid to change tempos when it suits her, she often strums and plucks her viola rather than using a bow, using the instrument as an sonic highlighter to accentuate the subjects of her lyrics. Having begun her musical training at the ripe old age of three, she is able to manipulate her viola and voice for so many different and unexpected sounds that it can seem like milking a cow and getting a bicycle.

The Bad: Interestingly, many of her songs that were re-recorded for the Rockwell got a bit of a trim with only two tracks making it over the three minute mark. It seems as if her frantic performance's are like sprints that she can only maintain for a couple minutes. With the intensity of each song, the brevity makes it hard to find an entrance point. By the time I feel like I am finally on the same page as her and can immerse myself in the chilling landscape she has crafted, the song is over. The only other criticism I will offer is that while Rossi tends to ruminate on the same unsettled dissatisfaction that say, Hail to the Thief revels in, it does so without being as emotionally varied or convincingly dark. The album feels to me less like an emotional exploration than a demonstration of obsessive dreariness that seems contrary to Rossi's unpredictability.

The Verdict: Rockwell ultimately reminds me of bones. It is chillingly bare and at once extremely personal. While somewhat emotionally singular and rather short, it is certainly an improvement on her former releases. Rossi shines through her eccentricities, having created a captivating and intriguing album.

See Rossi on tour with Seattle stop details here.

Listen to a few tracks here.

Buy Anni Rossi - Rockwell here.

Watch Rossi cover Radiohead's "Creep" here.

Download "Wheelpusher" - Rockwell here.