Annie - Don't Stop

After a tortuously long wait through the debacle that was 'The Island Years" Scandinavian pop princess Annie returns with the definitive version of her sophmore album. And, boy, was it worth the wait. I haven't listened to version one for a long time, so that the album will hopefully feel fresh. I'll write my thoughts down as I listen. Here we go.

1. 'Hey Annie'

Very obvious Epworth influence running throughout this. The synths and drums work very well with Annie's voice. The melody progression in the chorus is lovely. The singing/spoken word arrangement works well. Love the bells in the chorus. RAVE WHISTLE. Not overly keen on the chanting, although it reminds me a bit of 'Block Party' by Lisa Left Eye Lopez for some reason. Big fan of the way it ends. 8/10

2. 'My Love Is Better'

Again, this is very obviously Xenomania, although unlike in 'Hey Annie' I'm not sure it's a good thing. The chorus would have benefitted from Girls Aloud's vocals, as the call and response bits lack the punch that I would have liked. Some nice synth work throughout, but ultimately sounds like something that should have been on 'Chemistry' Some of the lyrics are good, quite sharp, but it's not really Annie. Not sure on this being the second single. 6.5/10

3. 'Bad Times'

This is probably my favourite of the Xeno tracks, as it seems to suit Annie's voice better. Still unmistakably Xeno though. Great melody in the chorus. Production is relatively sparse, which again, works well with her voice. Really like when the drums kick back in after the middle eight, it makes the whole thing a bit more epic. Love the echo on her voice towards the end. 7/10

4. 'Don't Stop'

Lovely intro! Really feeling the drum beat throughout this. Also love the synth that sounds a bit like a hairdryer. Lyrically beautiful, as is the way that they are delivered. The bits before each chorus are amazing. Synth breakdown works brilliantly. Also sounds a bit like it's underwater. Final chorus is suitably epic. Another win for Epworth. 8/10

5. 'I Don't Like Your Band'

WOW. Amazingly old school intro. Annie's voice sounds great here. Double layered vocals! Oh my god, the chorus. Brillant name checking of Kraftwerk & Giorgio Moroder. Love the way she says 'I like you' THE CHORUS! THE MIDDLE EIGHT! If this isn't a single I may spotaneously combust. 9/10

6. 'Songs Remind Me Of You'

Even after 2 and a half years, this still sounds amazingly fresh. Possibly one of Annie's best songs ever. It's interesting that this is the only song she didn't co-write. Whatever though, Annie/X is always a winning combination. Brilliant synth work, again. Lots of little swizzles everywhere. Actually quite dark. Great breakdown/buildup near the climax. Lovely cymbal to close. 8/10

7. 'Marie Cherie'

One of my favourites from the original version, and I played it to death when I got it. The orchestral arrangements are hauntingly beautiful, as are Annie's almost ethereal vocals. Everything about this just works so well, especially the violins in the bridge. It's quite menacing in a way. I'd like to see her do an old school Bond theme. Very nice. 9/10

8. 'Take You Home'

Thank god they got rid of the 'U' Another of my favourites from the original, it's also one of the songs that would fit quite easily on 'Anniemal' Brilliant lyrics. Slutty Annie! Again, the sparse production really elevates this song. Like 'Marie Cherie' it's quite menacing and dark. Love the drum breakdown. Tempo picks up nicely towards the end. Love the opera-esque singing in the background. 8/10

9. 'The Breakfast Song'

I've got a bit of a love/hate relationship with this one. It's brilliantly mental, and totally Annie, but incredibly annoying. It's a bit jarring after the darkness of the previous two tracks. However, by the end 'Coffe and TV' bit, it has kind of won me over. There's just so much going on! I'm going to shout 'What do you want for BREAKFAST?' all the time now though. 6/10

10. 'Loco'

Annnd, back to the Xenomania tracks. This is probably the most obviously Girls Aloud reject, and J was right in comparing it to 'Long Hot Summer' It's a pleasant enough song, but it just doesn't seem like Annie to me. That bloody guitar is annoying me a bit. Make that a lot. Annie sounds...uncomfortable. The chorus is nice though. 5/10

11. 'When The Night'

LOVE this. Definitely up there with 'Bad Times' as my favourite Xeno track. The lyrics are beautiful, and Annie sounds wistful throughout. One of the rare occasions they haven't overproduced the backing, and it really works. Very 80's, but not in a tacky way. Chorus is lovely. Well played. 7.5/10

12. ' Heaven And Hell'

Really surprised they decided to end the album with this. It's pleasant enough, in a Sunday morning kind of way, but I would have preferred either 'Take You Home' or Songs Remind Me Of You' Annie sounds great though. Like the 'Tell me where did I go wrong' bit. Like the fade out. 6/10

Well, that was great. Still a bit mystified as to why they chose 'Heaven And Hell' to close after the kinetic opening of 'Hey Annie' but it works. The album flows a lot better than before, and the inclusion of the Epworth tracks really elevate the album into something special. I will get round to reviewing the 'All Night E.P' and I'll post it here soon.

Now, where is 'Don't Stop' going to go in my albums of the year?