“You can learn a lot from dead things “, Anna Secret Poet sings in ‘Dead Things’, “including how to live”.
This is a very Anna line: seemingly throwaway, but really profound. The canny Scots singer-songwriter, drag performer and weaver of pithy tales returns with an album that meditates on the darkest corners of our psyche, albeit with a light touch.
I like songs like this- full of catchy riffs and indie dance floor anthemic, but dealing in stuff people often feel uncomfortable discussing.
There’s much introspection on offer then, but with a playfulness too. Take the jerky pop of ‘Good Idea’. It’s got more ” ba ba ba” in the backing vocals than a Julian Cope boxset.
‘Shadowlover’ emulates the perfect post-punk of Stiff Records, and ballads like the too-brief ‘Touching A Nerve’ and ‘Religious Ecstasy ‘ show the more raw, sweet side of Anna.
She just keeps going from strength to strength. This is a great wee gem of an album – much like our enigmatic hero herself. No void here to face-we hear you, and we’ve got your back.
Hit The North 
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