Skywaves –  Annalisa  (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Music and the people who make it, are naturally drawn to look at what has gone before how could it be otherwise? But dwelling too much in the past has led to a wave of nostalgia that has manifested itself in the rise and dominance of tribute bands, heritage tours and the idea that cover bands are somehow just as musically important as original artists. But cutting all times and looking only to new futures isn’t healthy either and the art lies in taking familiar core sounds and finding new musical vehicles to keep them relevant. 

Not only does Annalisa know this she exercises this cross pollination better than most. Her voice has that timeless blues-jazz quality, moving between the soulful and the soaring as required and gentle piano moods highlight the ambient qualities of the track. What moves it forward is that where as most artists would be happy to merely reap the nostalgia buck and put this track out like a golden age soul ballad pastiche, she instead wraps it up in electronic beats, dreamy atmospherics and rock guitars. And that is the difference between forging onwards into new musical territory and merely treading water.