Arthur Ashin of Autre Ne Veut might be working with familiar musical concepts, but he employs them in ways that are, to my ears, contemporarily relevant and indispensable to the discussion over the trajectory of popular music.
The veritable smorgasbord that forms this album is made up of a great many influences, but when all of them are put together, the result is a musical statement that’s innovative on every imaginable level.
Anxiety matches the emotional heights and immediacy of the music Ashin was inspired by, but what arrives from his limitations–as a singer, as a DIY-ist–adds to the record a personal foundation and raw authenticity no amount of budget could erect.
Anxiety stilettos gut-wrenched entrenched psycho-sexual seductive destructive obsessive push and pull over accreting and ascendant deep soul jams
His glass-shattering falsetto runs and chesty bleats transform Anxiety from a great pop record into something powerfully therapeutic, more about casting off inhibitions than actually hitting those high notes.
No track has a clear meaning, and Anxiety truly does take on the form of a Rorschach test, becoming whatever the listener views it as.
He relinquishes his inhibitions on Anxiety, an R&B diamond in the dense, desultory rough.
Autre Ne Veut’s triteness, his overexpression, are the result of a failure to not just create popular music, but to express himself too – and that’s the album’s main “Anxiety”.
The very personal Anxiety is remarkably messy, dramatic, poignant, and at times, beautiful.
Many a late-night chat will take place about whether this should be called alt.R&B, indie R&B or plain old ambient electronica, but there’s no debate about it being one of the sexiest and most luxurious albums of the year so far.
This is an album of climaxes and cathartic streams of consciousness, but an album listenable from start to finish.
While Ashin is clearly a major talent, he just needs to dial it down from time to time if he’s to deliver a wholly satisfying record.
As powerful as pop can get. Dense with emotions and triumph, this record will make you believe in something.
BEST TRACKS: Counting, Gonna Die, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Ego Free Sex Free, Play by Play
Play by Play is an all-time great, and Counting makes it a great on-two punch. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't come close to those songs.
Anxiety is still as arresting as it was when it came out. The production on this album is sparkling, but what makes this album stand out for me is Arthur Ashin's wild vocal performance. There is not a wasted moment on the entire project, Ashin fills every second with something of interest. Beneath the maximalist production is densely vulnerable lyrics that help make the whole album feel vital and personal. I also appreciate the somewhat wandering melodic lines; I feel like this captures the ... read more
1 | Play by Play 5:13 | 94 |
2 | Counting 3:41 | 94 |
3 | Promises 2:04 | 67 |
4 | Ego Free Sex Free 4:03 | 72 |
5 | A Lie 4:05 | 67 |
6 | Warning 2:26 | 44 |
7 | Gonna Die 2:55 | 83 |
8 | Don't Ever Look Back 3:43 | 61 |
9 | I Wanna Dance with Somebody 4:03 | 61 |
10 | World War 5:42 | 78 |
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