This album—a treasure trove of zippy guitar hooks, glimmering synths and lemony vocals expertly curated by Hackman—is all about human connection. She hones in on her emotional and sexual connections both to herself and others post-breakup.
Her third record is a continuation of that organic growth, a resplendent piece of pop/rock/folk that is as beguiling musically as it is lyrically blunt.
This record will be described as sexy and filthy but it is also heart-breaking and grotesque and beautiful and funny and complex.
By simultaneously preserving the intimacy and honesty that made her initial work so striking, Any Human Friend sees Hackman wholly uncensored, and al the better for it.
It’s a giant leap from We Slept At Last.
Hackman flits between self-reflection and self-loathing with ease, starkly unpicking her anxieties over fuzzy guitar on her most accomplished record to date.
From the arresting cover to the startling contents, Any Human Friend signals Hackman’s coming of age as an artist with real purpose and star power.
A blunt, bold album on which Hackman’s beatific voice sits atop methodically messy instrumentals.
Any Human Friend is Hackman's most attention-demanding work to date, and positions her as one of the most refreshing voices in British music right now.
With Any Human Friend, British singer-songwriter Marika Hackman largely ditches her folk leanings and makes a sharp, emotionally resonant statement.
Any Human Friend is an explosive body of work, one that isn’t afraid to discuss sex and female eroticism with a microscopic lens.
Any Human Friend confirms that Hackman has successfully carved out a particular place for herself in a crowded indie rock scene: no other rocker is making reliably catchy pop tunes with this level of confidence and honest complication.
The British singer-songwriter’s third album is a singular, extraordinarily horny, and occasionally bleak pop record largely about the complexities of queer desire.
While I'm Not Your Man suggested Hackman had belatedly discovered indie rock, Any Human Friend plays like her hip pop move, with plenty of keyboards and drum machines holding down the backing tracks and Hackman layering glossy harmonies around her vocals.
Marika Hackman is a wiseguy. Her lyrics oscillate between spikey barbs and intimate desires without shifting in tone. Following her compelling (if not lengthy) sophomore effort, Hackman returns with her silver tongue and some added synths to rake herself and her lovers over the coals. The songs are catchy, and the guitar hooks are quite satisfying. 'come another' has a fantastic hook and lyrics that capture Hackman's often self-deprecating images. For example, 'So Keep a cradle warm for me/ I ... read more
An awesomely catchy, exhilarating indie pop record I am absolutely in love with. A great end-of-the-summer listen you shouldn't miss.
If you've followed my account, which I won't assume you have, you'll know just how impressed I've been with this years slew of albums released by female singer/songwriters. I really have yet to be disappointed by what I've heard, and this Marika Hackman album is no exception.
Any Human Friend is a practice in intimacy, both with warm and inviting vocalization and personal songwriting. On top of all of this intimacy is instrumentation that is at times soft and easy and at other times hooky and ... read more
7/10
good
Fav tracks: wanderlust, the one, all night, i'm not where you are, hand solo, conventional ride, come undone, any human friend
1 | Wanderlust 3:17 | 70 |
2 | The One 3:37 | 82 |
3 | All Night 3:42 | 70 |
4 | Blow 3:30 | 75 |
5 | I'm Not Where You Are 3:46 | 75 |
6 | Send My Love 5:20 | 80 |
7 | Hand Solo 3:50 | 70 |
8 | Conventional Ride 4:10 | 70 |
9 | Come Undone 3:46 | 80 |
10 | Hold On 2:52 | 75 |
11 | Any Human Friend 3:12 | 80 |
#5 | / | Far Out Magazine |
#17 | / | God Is In The TV |
#20 | / | Rough Trade |
#23 | / | The Independent |
#23 | / | The Line of Best Fit |
#26 | / | Under the Radar |
#32 | / | Paste |
#33 | / | NBHAP |
#36 | / | No Ripcord |
#38 | / | Gigwise |