Anna B Savage – A Common Turn
‘A Common Turn’ is the debut 10 track album from artist Anna B Savage. Anna previously released an EP titled ‘EP’ and a live four track EP called ‘Live at Cafe Oto’. Last year saw the release of four singles from this new offering. Anna has toured with the likes of Jenny Hval and Father John Misty. Characteristically her music is captivating, enquiring and navigates through real-life struggles.
The album is introduced perfectly by the opening track ‘A Steady Warmth’ which slowly and ambiently sets the scene for how the album could be; a wall of sound rises like smoke then parts to make way for vocals and acoustic guitar. This short song perfectly hints what could be in store next.
‘A Common Turn’ is full of personal and cultural references, such as those featured on the tracks ‘Dead Pursuits’ where lyrics like “I don’t remember how to be me” portray a sense of self-doubt and confusion. Savage’s unique voice really shines through on this track as she questions her audience with, “is anyone listening?”, to which my response is, “I am, and I definitely don’t regret it. Dead Pursuits seamlessly fits together with the fourth song on the album ‘BedStuy’, a song reflecting the desire for a relationship to work; “I want us to thrive” she chants, in a song which starts off relaxed and ballad-like, before taking a surprising twist where it morphs into something more akin to a drum and bass track; unexpected but totally welcome, you’ll have to hear it yourself to fully appreciate.
A song which particularly stood out to me was ‘Corncrakes’. This opens with a beautiful acoustic guitar melody followed by Anna’s distinctive vocals. ‘Corncrakes’ deals with modern relationships, stating somewhat ironically “I want to text you, but it’d mean I’ve thought about you”. The song also questions reality with lines like “I don’t know if this is even real”, before building in power elegantly though repeated lyrics and increasing tempo, which maybe symbolises frustration from the artist.
The final three tracks ‘Chelsea Hotel #3’, ‘Hotel’, and ‘One’ feel a little more ambient, offering a sense of calm in the eye of what is otherwise a wonderful storm.
This remarkable debut album is something to be proud of. Savage deals with themes everyone can relate to and identify with, such as self-doubt, feminism, body insecurity, relationships, and not forgetting birds, which in this case appear to symbolise freedom. The skillful musicianship involved in creating this album is astonishing, the songs are well crafted, the vocals contain genuine beauty and I feel the guitar is the perfect accompaniment for these songs.
I highly recommend you check this album out when it is released on January the 29th and expect we will be hearing more about Anna B Savage in the music scene this year.
Alice Bloor
