Meet Stockholm, Sweden’s singer-songwriter Annamay, who just dropped her debut album, F*ck You, a collection of 11-tracks bathed in pop-rock, folk, and country flavors.
Raised in Åre, Annamay immersed herself in the world of music and songwriting when she was 10-years-old. Later, she became an expert level engineer of underground infrastructure and urban planning. Yet music is her creative outlet.
According to Annamay, “Music inspires me to live life to its full potential and I hope to encourage my listeners to do the same.”
Over the past three years, she’s released singles, like “Grab the Moon,” a song about inspiration and expectation, and “Torn Between Two Suns, about finding your soulmate and then being ripped asunder by events.
Recorded at Awesound Studio, the album features the talents of Rickard Forsman (acoustic guitar), Björn Zetterqvist (acoustic guitar), Annika Olsson Ennart (piano, keyboards), and the Back Street Bastards.
The album begins with “I’m Gonna Wake Up One Day,” a So-Cal country rock-flavored number with a deliciously drawling steel guitar, taut popping snare, gliding guitars and Annamay’s mellow, velvety voice.
From a purely subjective perspective, entry points on the album include “See Me Now,” riding a tasty alt-folk tune driven by syncopated percussion and an elegant piano, as Annamay’s penetrating voice infuses the tune with anticipatory flavors and luminous textures. The title track opens on compact alt-rock flavors riding a skintight beat. On the chorus, the harmonics mirror vestiges of pop-punk savors and new wave aromas, giving the tune a hefty punch.
“Torn Between Two Suns” travels on a supple alt-folk melody radiating oozing colors and an undulating sonic stream rife with honky-tonk-lite suffusions from the whining steel guitar. “Surf Through Life” rolls on surf rock flavors provided by jangly, shimmering guitars, as Annamay’s voice exudes infectious tangy timbres. I love the harmonies on the chorus on this track.
The last track, “Missing,” features a charming piano-driven melody that mousses up to alt-rock-lite momentum, while remaining warm and indulgent.
With a sound and voice reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Annamay delivers evocative, crystalline music enveloped in creamy surface colors. F*ck You is a very strong debut album.