THE ANCHORESS – As We Once Were – review

THE ANCHORESS – As We Once Were – review
Last Night from Glasgow

Six years? Really? Blimey. It, simultaneously, feels like a long six years, yet “The Art of Losing” seems newer than that. Yes, there was the covers album, but still.

Anyway, here we are. Should give you a heads up, though. I have a framed, signed poster of Catherine Anne Davies on my wall. A rare honour, shared only with my lifetime passion, Tarja Turunen. So, I’m a fan.

So what are you getting for your money? Well, the short answer is deeply personal, thoughtful art-pop meets rock. For sure, there are tinges of prog hither and thither but not as much as readers of Prog magazine might think. But they’ll be fine. There’s another Steven Wilson remix of something you don’t need coming along shortly.

This is the sort of thing I imagine myself listening to, in my library, wearing my smoking jacket, contemplating the louche life that led me to this sad place. It’s not all mournful and melancholy, though. Just mainly. ‘Throw Over Your Man’, the duet with MSP fella, is almost a dreampop gothpop song. It’s lovely. But it’s when Ms Davies hits you in the ‘feels’, as the kids would say, that it works best. Take a listen to ‘All I Really Want Is Peace’, and if it doesn’t hit you where it hurts, then you may wish to consider consulting a coroner.

What don’t I like. Well, I’m not a fan of intros, and reprises, and epilogues. Makes me think I’m getting more bang for my bucks, looking at the track listing. Other musicians may want to take note, and cut it out! There are some ‘collabs’ with Gwenno, James Dean Bradfield and Eaves Wilder popping in for a visit, although it remains very much The Anchoress.

The big switch up over the last six years is the fuller sound employed. Previous recordings have been very much piano led, whereas this one is awash with fuller synths. Which, rumour has it, are / were Pete Townsends. I’d check, but that involves looking stuff up.

It’s taking me longer to warm to this one, but The Anchoress isn’t the only one who’s changed over time. We all do. Still, if you’re in the mood for some thoughtful art-pop, you won’t do better than this.

It can be purchased, in many formats, in many places, including the Evil Empire.

Videogram;