I know I've been hyping the heck out of her, but I really think that Annie deserves it! Her new album was just released in the US this Tuesday. If you can find it, you may want to try it out! Here is AMG's review:

4.5 stars

In 1999, Annie and her boyfriend/producer, Erot, made a slippery-sexy single called "The Greatest Hit." Though it came out of Norway, it sounded more than a little American, sampling Madonna's "Everybody" while also echoing the nonchalant ecstasy of Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots." It didn't take off, at least not in the traditional sense. It floated around the underground, saw release on labels in different territories, and eventually became a pseudo-secret smash. Within a couple years, dancers and DJs in a few countries began to wonder what became of Annie. Erot's life was claimed by a heart defect in 2001; his partner, quite understandably, went quiet for a while. She picked herself up, took a very active role in the Bergen, Norway, music community, and recorded Anniemal with production help from Richard X, Röyksopp, and Op:L Bastards' Timo Kaukolampi. "The Greatest Hit," thankfully reprised here, is indicative of the album as a whole, bursting with sparkling melodies (often spiked with just a hint of melancholy) over mostly danceable rhythms that are either wholly modern or mischievously referential to early-'80s club hits (Tom Tom Club, the Human League, Arthur Russell's Dinosaur L). Annie's voice might be a little thin, but that's no real factor when it's so sweet and likable. The topics -- teasing, aching, longing -- aren't unfamiliar, yet they're often dealt with in a clever manner. Take "Chewing Gum," in which a dumped boy gets sort of objectified and verbally slain at the same time ("You think you're chocolate when you're chewing gum"), or "The Greatest Hit," containing the most foolproof come-on you could ever give a record geek ("C'mon, baby, you're my greatest hit"). As cunning as it is, Anniemal is also deeply affecting. "Heartbeat" is the least resistible of all, glowing with anticipatory pulses, tremulous sighs, and quivering electric piano vamps.

Here is my review:

5 stars

In the world of pop music, little is left to the imagination and even less is expected. So often, it is processed within a beat of its life; its plastic production and ostentatious gloss render it soulless and lifeless. Every so often, though, an artist manages to inject personality and humanity into overt pop frilliness. In 2004, Annie indubitably staked her claim as a pop princess that the world, not just her native Norway, could relish.

Throughout the course of Anniemal, her first full-length release, Annie delivers spunk, energy, insouciance, poignance and even a story. The album is prefaced by the irresistible effervescence of "Chewing Gum," whose feathery vocals and synthesized chug make it as intentionally disposable- and addictive- as its title and lyrics dictate. This sets the stage for Annie to open up into the many facets the album has to offer, from the urban snarl of "Always Too Late" to the pure pop glitz of the Kylie-flavored "Me Plus One," whose melody and cocky bass jabs seem destined for greatness.

One of the album's biggest accomplishments is that its heroine retains her approachability in contrast to the grossly overstated and unattainable wealth that plagues the pop milieu. Nowhere is this more evident than on the second single, "My Heartbeat", which succeeds so well that it could serve as a template for the perfect organic pop song. Soft electronic piano is echoed by a persistent, hypnotic bass pulse as Annie hovers above the mix with a vocal that is at once ethereal and vulnerable. Consequently, its appeal is both transcendent and authentically human. Annie does not come off as pop royalty, but rather as a long lost friend.

Despite its variety of textures and styles, the album is able to maintain its identity cohesively. While the title track is a kaleidoscope of saccharine pop, the follow-up "No Easy Love" has such a breezy groove that it recalls Prince and Chic. Elsewhere, the aptly named "Greatest Hit" utilizes the punch of a sample from Madonna's "Everybody" to its fullest. The standout opus "Come Together" is an uplifting call to unity, opening with a stark wafer-thin vocal that launches into a delectable disco bonanza. The album closes with the somber, downbeat "My Best Friend", whose introspective dealings make it the album's most personal track.

Perhaps the most astonishing of all of the album's qualities is its mere existence. Each breath and note contained is underscored by personal tragedy. Her first single, "Greatest Hit" dates to 1999 as a collaboration with her boyfriend. A club hit, it paved the way for their musical union to extend to a full album. However, those plans were derailed by his untimely death from a rare heart disorder at age 23. This knowledge renders songs like "My Heartbeat" and "My Best Friend" even more endearing and the encouragement of "Come Together" and the title track even more inspiring. As such, Anniemal stands tall as both a personal and a musical triumph.
[Edited 6/8/05 19:41pm]

Geez. Is there anybody who DIDN'T put an album out this week?

GangstaFam said:

Buy it!

Moonbeam said:

I might if I had some money.

GangstaFam said:

Or if it were even available in PH.

Moonbeam said:

Ain't that the truth.

Does it have US bonus tracks?

GangstaFam said:

I don't think so.

another sayhey'r around here...

GangstaFam said:

If you had any money you would be buying Roisin Murphy too!

Ask yer brother!

Telecaster said:

Why? He like it?

I'm getting high speed internet next week, so you can send me those files you've been promising.

TRON said:

HURRAY!

Finally
It has happened to him
Right in fornt of his keys
He can now start downloadinnnnn

I forgot about this but only learned about it after going online recently (I took a few days off the computer). I've listened to samples and must have this CD! Will this be that easy to find? This CD wasn't in any of the ads and the ads had like 20 CDs in them! It's a major week for releases. Anyone think the album will chart?

VinnyM27 said:

It seems to be a smash in hipster circles, but I haven't heard any mention of US promotion, as such. I kinda doubt it'll do much here.