Look for Anemo's new CD slowburn at a record store near you, or online at CD Baby What They're Saying About slowburn: |
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Swirlin' around like a tornado tossed three-way between Eurythmics,
Pretenders and Portishead, this is perky postmodern music made the right way: with a
sexy 'n' sassy Hyndeful of heartfelt female attitude. Even better, these guys
and their sweet-singin' gal pal are versatile enough to shift gears from
providing punchy power pop dollops about the perils of anonymous encounters ("Johnny
5") to plaintive paeans about sunken submariners ("Kursk"). UK artists Anemo blend power pop and alternative rock to excellent effect on their debut disc Slowburn. This female-fronted group are a veritable powerhouse of sleek mixing, spotless production, dynamic vocals and clever, catchy songwriting. Using a voice that would be well suited to mainstream pop, talented vocalist Hazelle Woodhurst pushes those boundaries to create aching ballads about loneliness and confusion and more expressive, demanding, upbeat indictments of modern society and relationships. There's a definite auditory resemblance here, particularly on "Same Day Chore," to the most recent rash of young American alt-pop female radio darlings, but Anemo do it with more talent. There's a lyrical maturity too, which allows them to bring a certain darkness to their songwriting and add an interesting dynamic and effect to the arrangements themselves which are almost always much more upbeat sounding then the lyrical content they house. Upon the first couple listens, some of Woodhurst's vocal gymnastics may prove grating, as may the tendency to layer multiple tracks of vocals in the mix (which tends to obscure and distract from the great lyrics); rest assured, however, because this disc will grow on you, and grow and grow and grow. Quickly turning this small but debatable flaw into something that feels much more like a musical idiosyncrasy, instead, to the point where it actually becomes somewhat endearing and catchy. If you like your alt-rock on the poppier side, this may just be your album pick of the year
Anemo is one part goth (think Evanescence), one part rock, and a dash of,
dare I say it, dance, even! But don't think Donna Summer disco, that's not what I
mean. It's the drums that makes me imagine some of these songs in a dance
club. But really it is mostly dark rock and very well done dark rock. Lead singer
Hazelle Woodhurst has a gorgeous voice that growls as well as it soars over
the driving drumbeats and interesting melodies. But don't be distracted by the
flashy music, the lyrics are really well written. Sometimes it's hard to
concentrate on the lyrics because there's a lot of other stuff going on, but try.
It's worth it. Luckily the band has included the lyrics in the liner notes. I
like how Anemo is able to cover the whole range of emotion in the songs. They
go from quiet almost ballad-like to screaming, driving hard rocking power.This
is a great CD for fans of the darker side of rock. I love the female voice, and this group shows it off incredibly! Hard driving
music, great beats, and lyrics with a hell of a hook, you must get this CD! I
played 'Fallout Renegade' on my podcast episode #55, and plan on playing more
Anemo in the future! As a female musician, I have seen entirely too many, near a majority, of
people who also fit in that category whose careers are based on image and physical
attractiveness over old-fashioned hard work, and it makes me both furious at
the state of things and wary of anything new that comes along. However, rarely
has an album won me over so immediately as Anemo’s debut, Slowburn (City
Canyon Records). Yes, vocalist Hazelle Woodhurst is a beautiful blonde. No, I
didn’t know that until after I’d been completely floored by the CD... Between the
funky riffs of “Stronger Stuff,” soaring melodies of “Who Will You Really
Become,” and goosebump-inducing ballad that is the title track, listeners are
left wondering, “What can’t this band do?” |
Hard driving electro-rock, straight out of the Garbage school. And with
Garbage turning into a second rate impersonation of themselves, it could be that
Anemo will fill the void. Anemo are a new UK band who have put together a gothic
tinged CD which dips into a few different pies. Fortunately they have a stro
ng enough identity of their own not to end up sounding like a musical magpie.
Vocalist Hazelle Woodrust has a strong, distinctive voice which is supported
ably by strong melodies, interesting songs and an angry set of lyrics, aimed
firmly at the disenfranchised...There are enough guitars to keep the rockers
happy, and with proper positioning could capture the Evanescence crowd....Mixing
up dark pop rock with more ethereal numbers, this is a CD that has been
creeping up on me the more I play it with the title track a moody little bugger that
has me hooked, alongside the crunchier numbers like “Johnny 5”.... It’s a
little bit rock, a little bit goth, but a whole lotta good. Frontwoman Hazelle Woodhurst has a distinct
vocal style that fits perfectly over a great mix of keyboard melodies
and strong drumbeats. Musically, ANEMO will appeal to fans of Garbage
and Curve. Though the band seems to have been influenced by synth sounds
of the early ’80s, they sound anything but dated. Songs such as “Johnny
5” and “Fallout Renegade” are great examples of the band’s unique style:
interesting keyboards, strong melodies, and an appealing voice. Woodhurst
sounds confident and strong throughout the whole CD, especially on moody
numbers like the title track, which really test her abilities as a vocalist. ANEMO was Unknown to us until Very Recently when a Steady stream of Emails
from Fans kept arriving, requesting a Song on From their CD. We were Honoured,
Especially since Anemo’s a Damn good Band. And it’s not your Typical
Commercial Tripe, either. It’s Good British Indie and It hasn’t been Released in
the UK yet as Far as we know. This is definitely Listenable in Any form. Cool. "Dark Pop Rock" from ANEMO joins Faith Hill album and others as top twelve of
legendary critic Chuck Eddy's picks for September 2 "Eddytor's Dozen" column. The United Kingdom’s Anemo are bursting across the ocean to launch stateside
with their unique brand of rock. Diva singer Hazelle Woodhurst unleashes her
soaring melodic vocals amid a crunchy guitar rock backdrop. Lyrically it’s a
great read and good listen as they branch through a myriad of topical themes. A
promising band, Anemo simply must be heard to be believed. |
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