I was super excited to receive my email from Pledge Music announcing the release of Anna Nalick’s new album, At Now. It’s been six years since her last album Broken Doll & Odds & Ends and a dozen years since becoming a fan of her huge hit “Breathe (2 AM).” In my gay opinion Anna is more than just a singer / songwriter, she’s a modern day poet. Instead of writing or speaking her poetry, she puts her innermost thoughts and feelings into music. A perfect example is her song “Stone” with it’s deep but playful lyrics, backed by a dark dramatic beat.
A theme in Anna’s music is her long running relationship with her craft and love of words. Songs like “At Now” and “Pegs” explain Anna’s craving for expression. “Pegs” has a humorous old school western twang that is Anna’s first foray into country music, as are her new songs “Drive Him Home” and “Bless My Soul”. Another new style is “Burn And Fade” with it’s psychedelic vibe. What isn’t new is her ever present skill to turn a phrase and ability for lyrics to roll off her tongue. She does this magnificently on “Lullbay Singer”, a bittersweet bedtime story, and “Aura” with it’s rocking beat and almost baptismal lyrics. My favorite new track is the love song “Knots.” Anna’s full voice is the star of this piano ballad about being emotionally tied up missing someone from a lifetime ago.
This album and a few of her live shows had gotten delayed due to some vocal problems she was having. After listening to At Now, I can’t tell that anything was wrong. Her voice is just as strong on this album as it was on her debut album, Wreck Of The Day, back in 2005. After a decade of being on the music scene, At Now is only Anna’s third full-length album, and it’s great to have her back.
