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When I first stumbled onto this band more than two years ago on mp3.com, I was struck by the way they described themselves: experimental music designed as an excuse for the world to hear Anna Dennis's voice.

The first song I ever downloaded of this English duo (the other half is Martin Williams) was called "My Overflowing Ashtray Heart." I must admist, I was hooked the moment I heard it. By the time Anna plaintively sang "Don't need no one to break me. I can do that on my own..." I knew I was hooked.

I immediately bought the two albums that they had for sale on mp3.com. Every song on it is greater than the next. Whether she's singing about her dreams of greater success -- and what it would take to achieve it -- on the song "Hit" ("I could learn to hate men / Play guitar left-handed....") to philosophizing about the darkness that sometimes creeps up on us all in "The Blue Tree" ("Niagara Falls needs a lot of rainy days / Supernatural, everything can be explained...") there is no question: you're drawn into the melodic and lyrical world that she alternately inhabits and is haunted by.

A year ago, they released "Speed of Life (Part 2)", a seven song CD of new music. I bought it quickly. My only criticism is that I find it too short, but that's the price I pay for being an enthusiastic messenger of good music. My favorite song of theirs is off of this CD; it's called "Don't Leave this World Without Me." It's sensual, sexual, frightened, frightening, and heavenly all at once. Whether she's pointing out that "You say that life's a bitch / Well baby so am I" or she's begging "Grip my hips / Teach me how to fly" you can really feel something wrenching in your gut. My wife pointed out that the title of this song (which is repeated quite often in the song) could be an invitation for a murder-suicide. True, but that's not how I see it. I see it more as a poem of two souls that literally can't stay apart any longer than necessary.

Posted: Mon - November 3, 2003 at 10:07 PM        

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