It’s easy to be impressed by Americana music, especially when fronted by a female lead. The slide guitar, the slow burn, the yearning croon, lusty and wanton. But the genre’s ubiquitous nature is giving rise to mediocrity – good Americana (like a man in many a song) is hard to find.
Through five years and three albums, Star Anna used her powerful voice to roam the better part of alt-country, gaining a steady fan base while touring the country with her band the Laughing Dogs. But on her latest album Go To Hell, Anna ditched the band and picked an edgy, painful brood for 10 varied tracks to stellar results.
There’s the subtle and melodic piano musings in “Go To Hell” and the stunning “Everything You Know,” both punctuated by Anna’s command of howling and whispering from one stanza to the next. “Power of My Love” showcases a certain pop sensibility, accompanied by playful guitars, while “Let Me Be” is a rocker right in Melissa Etheridge territory. Following a rollicking cover of Tom Waits “Come On Up to The House,” Anna ends Hell with “Smoke Signals,” a fast-paced piece of punk tearing a page from Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings.” I’ll say this for Anna – her influences couldn’t be better.
Go To Hell is Americana at its best because it’s a constant surprise, and Anna is its shining star. Mediocrity be damned.
