Advance Review - Anna Burch: 'If You're Dreaming'

Advance Review - Anna Burch: If You're Dreaming (April 3, 2020) on Polyvinyl

Two years after the release of her debut album Quit the Curse, the fantastically talented Anna Burch is back with her sophomore release If You're Dreaming. On this release, we find Burch continuing her stride as a songwriter, crafting picture-perfect introspectively focused alt-pop tunes.

If You're Dreaming features tightly composed guitar-driven melodies, whI’ll Burch's vocals are as smooth as silk. Burch keeps a hushed tone to her vocals, every now and then slipping into a gentle falsetto. The end result of Burch's efforts demonstrates a style of alt that is immensely contemporary, but also reminds of times past (especially 90's alt). There are times the guitars have an almost surfy vibe to them, but it's great. One theme that's consistent on the guitar work is the heavy use of reverb on them throughout. Coming in at 12 tracks, there's a lot for listeners to enjoy here.

Lyrically, Burch hits on key themes of isolation and longing. Each of these tracks seems methodically written and paced. More so than you hear in the average alt-pop album, which goes to show that Burch has a steady hand on the wheel and knows where she wants to take this vehicle. Some of my favorites from the album include: "Can't Sleep", "Go It Alone", and "Every Feeling". But I'll be honest, there's a lot of great tracks to choose from, particularly those that are more in tune with more slowly-paced alt pop. With If You're Dreaming Anna Burch continues to build on her growing reputation as a strong singer/songwriter. The Detroit native certainly gained a new fanatic with this one.

Rating - 4.5/5