Ana Roxanne: Poems 1 review – the amazing pop balladeer is coming out of the smoke | Practice music

TThe new album from Ana Roxanne was written after a change of heartbreak. And just like waking up one day after a breakup and finding that you’re fine, there’s a new feeling here. Where the musicians in New York were stretched out and suspended in the middle of the surrounding landscape, on Poem 1 they are front and center. For the first time, we hear Roxanne’s sweet, wise voice in detail, as she reflects on loss and longing in the slow, old-fashioned music.

The story begins with a group of sad songs that have more pop appeal than Roxanne does. His ambition is palpable in the simple but compelling lyrics, and beyond: the powerful strumming of the strings in Age of Innocence; default keys in Keepsake. There are occasional glimpses of the experimentation of his first two records, in droning synths, or faint, tapering winds in the background. These elements, combined with Roxanne’s strengths as a singer, give these songs a chance to feel boring or out of date.

At the right moment, the mood changes on One Shall Sleep, and this is where the record begins to shine. Layering ethereal synths and strings with her soft, sultry drawl, Roxanne turns Robert Schumann’s lie into something vivid and mesmerizing. that they feel worthy of a dream sequence on film. Wishful (Draft) is also a passing, wide-eyed, Julee Cruise style. Even after the sweeping instruments of the next song, Cover Me, the A heart-wrenching chorus, accompanied by Roxanne’s sighs and lead vocals. While pleading with someone, somewhere, to “hide what will never be”, a closed mind appears.

Also this month

Foundry, the new record from the DJ and writer Yu Suand explores what he calls “the middle of music” (Short Span). Together with collaborators Dip in the Pool, Memotone and Seefeel, they pull together the best of techno, with the best spoken word in between.

The first release on DIY label Ó Mhaidin is Toothpaste for Your Elephant, an eccentric 16-track collection of “skuzzy and off-centre midnight fighters”. Highlights include a recorded peak from Thorn Wych, an amazing song. from Idol Ko Si, and the hottest song from the secret group Kulku.

On Stalagmites Music, Middlesbrough producer Rees takes inspiration from the slow growth of underground rock formations (Magic Ritmo). So, this downtempo club music is dry and dark, with swirling synths and weird sounds. A landscape of dripping water enhances the cave-like atmosphere.