Label : Agua Recordings
Review by Tony Cannella
Everyone knows that Anneke van Giersbergen was the voice of the seminal Dutch band The Gathering up to a few years ago. Since leaving The Gathering she has formed her own outfit called Agua de Annique and in 2007 they released a pretty cool debut titled “Air”. Now the band is back with their second release titled “In Your Room” and it sees the project expanding on what they started in ’07 to release a more complete and sophisticated album. For those who have heard the first Agua release than you will know that they are really not metal, so don’t expect anything like the classic The Gathering albums “Mandylion” or “Nighttime Birds”, having said that, “In Your Room” is still a very good album (metal or not) that really showcases the vocal talents of Anneke, which are quite strong and getting better all the time.“Pearly” started things off and it has a funky riff that starts the song off quite strong and immediate. The second song “Hey Okay!” is just brilliant and hands down my favorite track on either one of the Agua de Annique albums. It has such an up-tempo happy feel and positive energy to it, that it is impossible to be in a bad mood after listening to it, one thing is also obvious, Anneke still has a hell of a voice. “I Want” is next and continues where the previous two songs left off – again, it’s got a nice melody and vibe running through it. “Wonder” is a beautifully wistful piano ballad and other song that’s destined to become a favorite. Other highlights include: “The World”, “Sunny Side Up”, “Home Again”, “Just Fine” (co-written with Devin Townsend) and “Wide Open”, but honestly among the 12-songs on display here, there is plenty of good music here. With “In This Room” Anneke and Agua de Annique have far exceeded what was begun on “Air” and released an album with a ton of depth and character. “In This Room” is 12-songs worth of sophisticated and experimental, avant garde power pop music that is quite a ride.
Rating – 85/100
Tracklist
- Pearly
- Hey Okey!
- I Want
- Wonder
- The World
- Sunny Side Up
- Physical
- Home Again
- Wide Open
- Longest Day
- Just Fine
- Adore
Line Up
- Anneke van Giersbergen – Vocals & Piano
- Joris Dirks – Guitars & Vocals
- Jacques de Haard – Bass
- Rob Snijders – Drums & Keyboards
Links