Anika Moa - Album Review: Queen At The Table
A fresh new collection of smooth and stylish tunes awaits
you in the form of Anika Moa’s new album, Queen At The Table. The PR people
say she has returned her attention back to her never departing fan base, and I
can faithfully say yes she has done that and more, she could have followed a tried
and tested pop song formula, but thankfully you can hear a mature artistic
creativity at work here. Like in the opening track Running which is delivered with a cool retro drum machine sound
that is joined by an equally retro sounding Casio tone keyboard effect, a
playful combination that doesn’t sound out of place once Anika brings her
soulful melody to the fore.
There are many emotional themes, each delivered with soulful sincerity, none more prevalent than when Anika’s heartfelt vocal strains emerge in the brooding These Lonely Tears I Cry For You. There are no lolly-pop songs, it has a thoroughly modern sound, most tracks have a slow but groovy dub step beat with either a chilling synth grind or a sparkly keyboard sound that conjures up distant images and atmospheres, providing the perfect foundation for the smooth genuine quality of Anika’s vocal which is prevalent in every track. The album is a flawless mix of an Anika’s organic voice over the generally synthetic looped music riffs and metronomic precision of the beats. Speaking of beats the album is loaded with unique rhythms that are highlighted with cool synth effects, some sound like a beeping car horn or a whistling bird, each have their own distinctive feel and influence on your experience. The album closes with the brilliant track Jealous with some neatly placed acoustic guitar and more cool key’s all driven by an ever increasing intensifying drum beat.
Listening to this album was a pleasurable experience, where you hear more and are taken to new places on repeated playbacks, and thus Queen At The Table is an encounter which I thoroughly recommend.
About Anika Moa
Anika Moa is a clever, charismatic and funny as all hell singer songwriter from New Zealand/Aotearoa. She began writing pop songs at the tender age of 13 and is now an established singer, writer and mother of three.
Back in 1999 Anika was spotted by Atlantic Records and became the youngest Kiwi artist to be signed to a major American record company. She was catapulted from Hornby, Christchurch to the bright lights of New York at just 18. With the help of her New Zealand label Warner Music she recorded her debut album Thinking Room with Australian producer Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, PJ Harvey) in the big apple. Back in New Zealand the album ricochet to number one and her stellar career began.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Anika Moa
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