ANOHNI and The Johnsons

My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross – Secretly Canadian

ANOHNI is back with the Johnsons after 13 years and the result showcases her immaculately vibrant and powerful voice, with sounds and tempos that separate from her more recent electronica output. The depth of lyrical content has always been ANOHNI’s calling card, as the pain, joy, love, and loss all burst out with her wails and deep vibrating tones. The guitars are sometimes jazzy and the overall vibe is more cocktail lounge than bombastic dance club. The album features a portrait of gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, taken by Alvin Baltrop, on the cover.

The soul influenced track 1, “It Must Change,” starts the album off – it slinks back and forth with a funky guitar, while telling us all about the climate crisis. The track features spoken word, in a very 70s R&B style. Track 3, “Sliver Of Ice,” is lush and introspective. It gets its power by the deft silence in between ANOHNI’s vocals. The six-minute epic, “Why Am I Alive Now,” is an existential tune that combines bongos, with a jazzy, almost bossanova guitar strum. The music is cinematic and dreamy, creating a world unto its own.

It is easy to say that this is an amazingly strong and prescient album – while looking at what is happening today, predicting the slow decline of humanity when examining the environment, social issues, and the chasm of class in society. ANOHNI’s voice is vibrant, anguished, and sterling. The album is passionate, while packing in the sense powerlessness we have in this world. Certainly, an impressive and important album for 2023 and beyond.

Favorites: 9**, 3**, 1**, 5** and 7*.

– (h)earwitness