Isobel Anderson - Chalk / Flint (2017)

Describing an album to a potential listener is a risky business. Too often they will be turned off by the all-too familiar soundbites. ‘The new Ed Sheeran’ being one, perhaps. Or ‘the next Adele’. Perish the thought that musical artists should have their own identity. A more meaningful approach is to describe the circumstances behind a new record, or its leading features. So when Isobel Anderson’s fourth album is described as being “inspired by the jagged coastline of Sussex,” the curiosity is immediately pricked. Anderson is a singer-songwriter with a refreshingly direct line of communication. That doesn’t mean she sings loud all the time, more that she has clearly thought deeply about how her vocals should be delivered. The production responds accordingly, making sure her thoughts are never clouded or obscured, and it is here that the Sussex coastline becomes clearer.

The voice on Chalk / Flint is an incredibly communicative instrument. That may sound an obvious thing to say, but it is rare to find a vocalist capable of varying her delivery to this extent without losing the feeling. The ambiguously titled _4284_ finds her probing the emotional depths. “This is my body, you don’t decide what’s inside,” she states in piercing tone. “You can try and shame me, but you forgot I’m alive.” As personal statements go it doesn’t get much more profound, and the accompanying violins are sweet but suitably descriptive. This and other songs from Chalk / Flint are very close to the bone. Feed Me finds Anderson in confessional mood. “I wanted to apologise, at how I left it last night,” she begins uncertainly, before asserting her position with a firm “just let me feed” delivered over swirling electronics.

TRACKLIST

01. {Intro}
02. Flint Shingle
03. Feed Me
04. _4284_
05. Effortless Pain Relief
06. Chalky White
07. Motherchild
08. Watch You Leave
09. Terra Incognita
10. {Through The Arcade}
11. With You