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Using a name part inspired by the Himalayan peak Annapurna suggests big things, yet on The Wind, Ann Annie creates an ambient framework that avoids large canvasses for something much smaller. Multi-instrumentalist Eli Goldberg started out in an indie-rock band during high school, moving on to synth-heavy solo music and even dabbling for a while in techno. Ann Annie became a project where Goldberg could blend a variety of different shades to create something both meditative and romantic while still incorporating tiny pieces of everything that had gone before.
The initial piano notes to Aviary Reverie (Waltz in No. 2 in C) unfurl so slowly the passage that follows almost sounds rushed, though nothing could be further from the truth. The song seems to revel in taking its time. Largely recorded at home, the album luxuriates in the use of time, stretching and elongating phrases on piano and clarinet, along with a variety of other instruments.
Creeping in with bass notes that would be almost too loud in other contexts, Cottonwood still maintains a remarkable sense of the languorous. Piano notes on the right-hand play against chords from the left, with the bass managing to strike an extraordinary balance that seems to blend with the moment. In contrast, Drift Creek, framed by guitar and banjo, also includes a variety of moments where the cello subtly frames the proceedings even as an electric guitar slowly sighs.
The sounds of a piano’s hammer hitting the string offer a gentle Introduction, yet clocking at just 1:20, it could go sideways as the high notes of the piano, treated and tremoring, establish a threatening mood that doesn’t completely fall to pieces. Somehow, as the way into Lamb’s Ear, it establishes a contrasting mood that blends the irregular before establishing a theme that steps back from the previous precipice and lets go towards tones of greater comfort.
The banjo that opens Silver Creek mixes with pedal steel before a wash of synths frames the piece with sounds that threaten the quiet majesty. Simple drumming only adds to the piece, making one question whether the song will collapse. Yet before that happens, Sweet Coast enters with atmospherics tugging at the underlying acoustic guitar, which takes over the mix before the two forces seem to find a way to coincide.
In just under half an hour, these 13 songs gently explore the notions of what ambient music can portray. Creating wafts of colour that tug and occasionally tear at the fabric of life, even as they sweeten and stretch the world, this sensitive music still finds ways to challenge. The Wind is not always simply a gentle breeze; Ann Annie finds ways to take you places you might never have found otherwise.
The Wind is released on June 7th via Nettwerk. Pre-Order here: https://annannie.ffm.to/thewind_album
