Album review: Anna Calvi – ‘One Breath’

I’ve always wondered how it must feel to have two prestigious nominations under your belt pretty much six months either-side of your debut album. Of course I’ve won a few BRITS and a couple of Grammys, awarded by myself, to myself, for my spectacular ‘singing-in-the-shower’ sets, but in reality, I can’t sing for shit.

However Anna Calvi can actually sing, proving so in her self-titled 2011 debut. Oh, and other people listened too, with the album earning Calvi nominations for both that year’s Mercury Music Prize along with BBC’s Sound of 2011 poll too. It wasn’t that it was just a good album, the fact that it gave a proper ‘two-fingers’ up at the pop industry (which, let’s face it, was diabolically shit that year) helped people to sit up and take notice. It was completely ballsy, as well as a massive risk on both her’s and the label’s part; and whilst commercially the album seemed to stall, it brought Calvi the kind of positive credibility that no money could ever buy.

Now let’s fast-forward to 2013, and the first major release for ‘that bizarre fourth quarter’ is Calvi’s follow-up, One Breath. It’s quite exciting actually; kinda fucked-up too. And no, not in a US-teen “dude that’s so fucked-up” way, more in one of those joyous ‘fucked-up’ ways one would associate with a Zero 7 or Infected Mushroom album. It seems more personal, more emotional than its predecessor.

You’re not going to get anything as overtly ‘soothing’ as album opener Suddenly anywhere else on the record. It’s nice…. I fucking hate that word, ‘nice’, but that’s the best I can do really. It’s not groundbreaking, though the folky quirks mixed with an epic drum sequence toward the end does bring you into Calvi’s world. It probably wouldn’t sound out of place as a standout on a Florence album. But whilst that may be standout in Florence-world, this is Anna-world, where it’s just ‘nice’.

However, it’s gothic (and often anthemic in parts), new single Sing To Me that plays a pure trump card here. Let down by its slightly bizarre video, the epic track really goes some way to show what Calvi is capable of; there really doesn’t seem to be any sign of ‘difficult second album’ syndrome here, or anywhere on One Breath as it happens.

The rest of the album feels like a fusion of some Siouxsie Sioux with Alison Moyet, whilst adding in some Florence Welch for good measure. You can’t help but love the operatic tones in Eliza, whilst title track One Breath treats the listener to some wonderful melodies.

All in, One Breath really positions 33 year-old Anna Calvi as a formidable songwriter. With this dramatic (and oft cinematic) sophomore effort, Calvi really has put that second-album fear to rest.

One Breath is due out on 7th October; hit the iTunes button below to preorder: