Annie Dressner is an American born, Cambridge based singer-songwriter who
has already released a debut album in 2011, and an EP earlier in 2013 - ran
through a pledge campaign. Dressner has been on the radar for quite some time.
She played the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2012, and has since toured the UK on separate
legs, being support for some big names on the singer-songwriter magic mystery
bus, like Charlotte Carpenter, and Lucy Wainwright Roche. She's back with
another single titled "Don't Feel The Same", to complete her solo 2013, to set up her new project as the Pollyanna
Band.
"Don't Feel The Same" is a bright return to form for Dressner,
after parts of her East Twenties EP lacked in depth somewhat. She sings
with a personal edge, a touch only successful and mastered only by the best
songwriters: "Secrets told under the stars - they've all fallen
down." Dressner has a specific way of delivering her lyrics, and
through her vocal comes a stream of genres such as slowcore and sadcore, that
you would associate with the 80s / 90s dream pop artists rather than a modern
singer-songwriter / folk musician such as Dressner. But her lyrics, matched
with the slow tempo of delivery - work. The listener hangs on every stanza,
allowing Dressner to communicate with her audience better than most.
"Don't Feel The Same" is an example of how slowing down can speed you
up. The chorus, and structure that follow are unlike the Dressner recordings of
the past. There's a much happier vibe, with a sort of dance-esque percussion.
You can't unhear the distinctive backing vocals, which are passed by on the
first listen. Good stuff from Dressner, with the best still to come.
~Eddie Gibson