Annie Bacon & Her Oshen – Storm
“She drives around crying in her car…” one of the opening lines in “Secret Broken Heart,” is the kind of poetic lyrical wave of the wand over a distinctive melody. What is also impressive are two important elements — Annie Bacon’s satiny vocals & the entire project impeccably recorded. Annie is the standard California folk-rock Americana artist who has seasoned her work – it has a maturity to it that doesn’t make it sound old but makes it sound believable. And that’s half the battle.
Produced by Annie (acoustic guitar/vocals) with Paul Defiglia (bass/keys/synth/organ/drum machine) the 14 clouds that hover over Storm (Drops June 14/Independent/43:45) drift along a good pace. No rough edges just bracingly smart music. The pieces are constructed around some mixed cargo – a meditation on grief, confronting broken hearts, death obviously, a loss of her own identity & taking journeys through difficult times. Themes we’ve all come to know.
Annie’s voice isn’t always but sometimes has a Stevie Nicks tonality since she sounds like she could’ve been hired easily by Fleetwood Mac. But Annie Bacon’s self-employed & seems to be doing fine because this is her fourth album.
The Stevie Nicks-enriched style is evident in “When Will I Learn,” & “The Island.” Fleetwood Mac fluent, that’s what these are. Fleetwood Mac would be fortunate to have such endearing well-written songs as these. Annie will waiver between the Stevie Nicks perception but uses Kate Bush’s ingenuity – that’s clever. Annie’s songs aren’t fleeting. She has imaginative lyrics, captivating melodies & a formal breadth with her voice. She makes some songs challenging, sad, or moody sound suave in an expressive spray of notes & instrumentation. Takes skill.
I think it’s a winning formula for Annie because I don’t believe many singer-songwriters explore these avenues of grief dealt with profoundly. Others are satisfied with a repertoire of sugary happy fantasy cliched verse-chorus-verse & angst-ridden with valium induced vocals. This isn’t Annie Bacon. The songs can be ethereal, maybe even approach a little surrealism in structure. But Annie deals with reality quite closely…on her terms.
“No Clove Day” is an interesting song title. This is someone who wants to say something with her compositions & leave those that follow to pick up the fallen notes.
Criticism? Yeah, one: she could rock out a little more. She can do it.
Highlights – “Secret Broken Heart,” “Mist,” “When Will I Learn,” “Walk a Little Farther,” “It Might,” “Dance,” “No Clove Day,” “It’s Okay” & “Worry.”
Musicians – Thomas Byron Eaton (guitars/pedal steel/mandolin) & Anson Hohne (drums/percussion).
Color image courtesy of Annie’s Bandcamp. Song samples & CD @ https://anniebaconandheroshen.bandcamp.com/album/storm & https://www.anniebacon.me/