Minnesota native Annie Fitzgerald has done something that not many female singer-songwriters are doing, and that is produce an album that is tender, thoughtful and emotional but deliver these songs with some oomph!
Most of us are suckers for a good love song but the path she’s chosen to present this type of song is supported by drums, bass, guitar and her voice (which will draw comparison to Tori Amos, Delores O’Rhiordan and Dido) and the songs feel so much stronger because of it. Don’t get me wrong, the opportunity to hear a singer stripped-back so the tale and the emotion is revealed is fine but if you have the talent and chance to bring a variation, perhaps that should be taken.
The songs do have a variation, we go from summer pop to country to folk and ballad yet the whole piece doesn’t feel disjointed or struggling to be cohesive, there is a common theme that runs through the album and that theme is a simple one; write good songs, let the singer deliver these songs and build some strong arrangements around them. If only all music was this simple eh?
Opening track ‘Be Like A Tree’ acts as a strong introduction for anybody discovering Annie Fitzgerald for the first time and we get those moments of time here and there, there are songs for the morning, songs for the evening and songs that suit a slow drive through the sunshine. This album was originally scheduled for release in June of this year, but it didn’t reach us until now. They say timing is everything and with track titles such as ‘Feels Like Summer’ and title track ‘You & Me & The Sun’ this album is perfect for those beach visits and road trips with the sun illuminating the road. Perhaps the damp, dark mornings of an English autumn isn’t quite the backdrop for such a collection of songs but I think if you listen to this album now, and tuck it away somewhere safe (a little like letting your pet tortoise hibernate) only to release it again in the UK summer of 2019 and you’ll find a two-for-one offer and probably a different listening experience.
There are some good things on offer here and a good example of an artist writing the songs she needs to write but making the music she knows people will enjoy hearing.
