Anna Vincent – ‘Under The Glass’

Anna Vincent has been making music for twenty years in various guises, fronting acclaimed DIY outfits My Tiger My Timing and Heavy Heart, but it’s only since going solo that the south London singer-songwriter has found the clarity she now realises she had always been seeking.

“There’s something about growing up and getting older,” she muses softly, speaking from the living room of her home in east London. “You start to become aware of time, and of who you truly are, and how that’s not going to change. Now it’s all about embracing who I am, with all the limitations that that entails.”

Embracing these so-called weaknesses is a theme Anna returns to again and again on ‘Under The Glass’, the exquisite solo debut she recorded during lockdown with her boyfriend Max Bloom, formerly of Yuck.

The album feels incredibly personal and speaks volumes about Vincent’s own frailties and fragilities and while the lyrics reflect a person full of self-doubt, the beautifully relaxed spirit of the music perhaps reflects the inner steel and acceptance of self which comes with age and life experience.

https://annavincent.bandcamp.com/track/naxos

Opening the album is ‘Naxos’ – a calm, yet energised track which sets the scene perfectly for the remainder of the album. ‘Thick Skin’ feels like an ode from younger to older self, where perceived

imperfections are not only accepted but exclaimed with joyous passion in a glorious statement of self-awareness and acceptance. The particularly tear-jerking and candid lyrics, ‘“I’m just a mess, and I always have been” resonating with many of us I’m sure.

https://annavincent.bandcamp.com/track/thin-skin

‘Told you so’ is an ethereal, delicate delight, the softest and smoothest of voices, and an airy, bohemian feel overlay powerful trumpet and gentle drums. Reminiscent of Joni Mitchell yet refreshingly modern, this for me, captures a real maturity and defining moment in Vincent’s career to date.

The album closes with its namesake track, ‘Under The Glass’ which captures those little moments in time we all wish we could bottle and keep forever. It serves as a highly opportune reminder to cherish every minute. Upbeat while at the same time mellow, the lyrics ‘Why judge it’ bring us full circle in this album which is also a journey in self-discovery.

Tracklist for ‘Under The Glass’:

1. Naxos

2. A Window

3. Seeing Double

4. Thin Skin

5. Halfway Through

6. Nothing Wrong

7. Told You So

8. Love You Twice

9. Under The Glass

Check out Anna’s album and pre-order here: https://annavincent.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-glass

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