ANOMIE BELLE THE CRUSH ALBUM SELF-RELEASED RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Having toured and played with the likes of Tricky, Little Dragon and Kid Koala, you can guess that Anomie Belle has more than a passing interest in down tempo electronic music. This American woman produces, composes, sings and is a multi-instrumentalist, has classical training yet is more prone to experimentalism. She has lived and created music in more countries than most people have been on holidays to. Unfortunately, as Anomie Belle will be a name largely unknown to most of you, comparisons have to be made - this talented musician seems to share something more in common with Bjork than the aforementioned acts.

The reason? Well, first of all, her voice - it’s very rich, very distinctive, very soulful at times, and once heard, easily identifiable (and no, I don‘t mean it sounds exactly like Bjork, it sounds like Belle). The other reason? Her playful use of electronics, used to accentuate her lyrics and vocal stylings, rather than rigid songs with words spat out over the top. The tracks seem very organic, and quite unlike anything I’ve heard recently. Listen to “Mosquito in the Closet” and you’ll see what I mean. Classical violins meet acid squiggles, with jazz-like smoky vocals seeping through the gaps where the two styles meet.

Also “Inky Drips”, recently released as a single - it builds and falls in accordance with the voice, which is at once demanding and manly, then sweet and child like - morphing between variations of tone and texture as the track moves on.

The opening track on this third album, “Electric Lullaby, ” is very weirdly sinister and I feel it could actually put off a few people if they hear this first and “On TV“ is quite monotonous - but it merits listening to the rest of the album, as Belle is a real talent. "Bodies Offering” is the winner for me; it’s jittery, complex, but also quite laid back too - the perfect oxymoron of a track to capture what I believe the artist is all about. Overall, interesting beginnings and largely a successfully diverse album. Expect her name to just grow and grow.

MIKE WHYTE