One Breath
One thing that sets Anna Calvi apart from other powerful female vocalists is her fleet and agile phrasing and partitioning of syllables, done in an operatic fashion that\'s so unintimidating that even those of us with average voices (or less) are compelled to breathe deep and belt out Calvi’s tunes along with her. On her 2011 self-titled debut, the big song “Desire” paved the way for a string of impressive singles; those led to *One Breath*, her second full-length. Slightly less pop-focused than *Anna Calvi*, this set includes scowling guitars and belching synths, brokenhearted strings, angst-filled silent spaces, whispers that seem driven by pain and/or desires, and heavenly choruses that lift the spirit even when it feels too heavy. From fantastic, grinding art-rock (the distortion-dripping “Love of My Life”) and “Desire”-esque anthems (the delirious “Suddenly” and roaring “Eliza”) to mini style-shifting epics (“Piece by Piece”) and lovely, vaporous gems (“Sing to Me,” “The Bridge”), Anna Calvi—the singer *and* composer *and* musician—again impresses deeply.
One Breath is a bold and confident record that begins an exciting new chapter in this uniquely talented artist’s career. Produced by John Congleton in Blackbox Studios, France and mixed in Dallas, Texas, USA, One Breath was written in a year and recorded over a few intense weeks. One Breath is a more personal record than its Mercury and Brit nominated predecessor. Reflective and vulnerable, it strikes a balance between optimism and despair, beauty and ugliness. The fiery elements of Anna’s debut remain, but One Breath is more instinctive and urgent, revealing a wider spectrum of textures and emotion. “One Breath is the moment before you’ve got to open yourself up, and it’s about how terrifying that is. It’s scary and it’s thrilling. It’s also full of hope, because whatever has to happen hasn’t happened yet.” – Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi's new One Breath is a shade darker and angrier than its precursor, alternately haunting and just a bit more disarming than you’d expect. However, the quickly recorded release is too disparate in spots.
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Everything's turned up to eleven on Calvi's second record: the louds are louder and the quiets quieter.
On her 2011 Mercury-nominated debut, bewitching, guitar-slinging Brit Anna Calvi delivered enough atmosphere to terraform her own planet.
You can always count on British musicians doing everything with a heightened sense of drama. For example, if Anna Calvi had been born in Ame...
Album review: Anna Calvi's second album, 'One Breath' (released by Domino), falls under the Clash critical ear...
It's hard to say what's the bigger accomplishment Anna Calvi achieves with her sophomore effort One Breath, that she takes the next step to a place...
Review of "One Breath" by 'Anna Calvi' "One Breath is now out on domino. The first single off the album is "Sing To Me". Anna Calvi starts her tour 10/11.
While still touching on the themes of lust, love and death, Anna Calvi amps up the theatricality and experimentation, writes <strong>Harriet Gibsone</strong>
Anna Calvi's One Breath is an album of savagely swinging moods, but it impresses rather than involves says Neil McCormick.