Label : Pias/Agua Recordings
Review by Luisa Mercier
After releasing “In Your Room” I was a bit sceptic about Anneke‘s new record. Beware: I was not sceptic about her vocals (never been and never will, she is always amazing), but I did not like tracks like “Hey Ok!” or “Sunny Side Up” which I found way too much cheesy. On the other hand, I loved songs like “Wonder”, so I had sort of mixed up feelings about her previous album. For “Everything Is Changing” she teamed up with the Portuguese producer Daniel Cardoso (also live musician for Anathema) and the result is very, very satisfying. She abandoned the easy pop atmospheres and embraced a rock sound which is explored in all of its nuances, but it is always present. The opening track is “I Feel Alive”, the first single. Lively, happy, sweet, romantic, this song is the perfect tune to cheer you up. Guitars are heard, but they’ re not overwhelming. A very nice pop-rock that can be enjoyed while walking or driving. In the same vein there is “You Want to Be Free”, which is a little bit heavier, but always catchy and very positive. Of course, Anneke‘s vocals are the main focus, but the surrounding music context is equally interesting. The title-track is an atmospheric ballad with a soft electronic background, keyboards and quiet mood. Maybe not the highlight of the album, but it is worth more than a listening. “Take Me Home” starts with a dance beat that soon turns into a rock, up-tempo song. Guitars and electronics mix creating a modern, melodic track that all of you will love. Definetely electronic, but more ambient/world music sounding is “I Wake Up” which has a certain pathos, an uplifting feeling. One of my favourite off “Everything Is Changing”. I had already listened to “Circles” in a live video and I appreciated the sweetness of the piano and voice arrangement. The voice of Anneke that brings everything to an upper level is the real treat of this song. “My Boy” is a nice mid-tempo that becomes faster in the chorus. Electronic again blends with rock tunes creating a track that maybe is little bit more melancholic than the others, but the real rock comes with “Stay”. The beginning is almost metal but it becomes more melodic when vocals kick in. Definitely the heaviest and angry track on the album. Let’s go back to pop-rock territories with “Hope, Pray, Dance, Play”. The arrangement slightly recalled me Depeche Mode; maybe because of the 80’s sounding keyboards. Another up-tempo song is “Slow Me Down” which slows down only in the title, I believe. The song is very fast and it will be great to play live. Metal again with “Too Late”, which is darker than the rest of the record but very enjoyable for me. I mean, I love positive atmospheres, but heavyness is also a pleasant surprise in Anneke solo record given the acoustic style of the first and the pop songs of the second album. “1000 Miles Away from You” is an interesting track that mixes a lot of genres: pop, rock, post-rock, electronics. A very beautiful way to end “Everything Is Changing”. I have no doubt this is her best solo release: it contains a variety of music styles, you never get tired of it and of course there is Anneke. How can you get tired of her?
Rating – 85/100
Tracklist
- Feel Alive
- You Want to Be Free
- Everything Is Changing
- Take Me Home
- I Wake Up
- Circles
- My Boy
- Stay
- Hope, Pray, Dance, Play
- Slow Me Down
- Too Late
- 1000 Miles Away From You
Line Up
- Anneke Van Giersbergen – vocals
- Daniel Cardoso – producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist
Links