Loss and desire define Ana Roxanne's latest album, Poem 1, a stunning departure from her earlier ambient work. The New York-based musician places her voice front and centre, offering her most accessible record yet while retaining unexpected details, including a cover of Robert Schumann.
A New Clarity After Heartbreak
The album was born from a transformative heartbreak, and with it comes a newfound clarity. Where Roxanne's vocals once floated amidst hazy ambient textures, on Poem 1 they are lucid and prominent. Her lovely, wispy voice contemplates loss and desire over slow, stripped-back compositions.
Mournful Ballads and Pop Sensibilities
The record opens with a collection of mournful ballads that draw on pop songwriting more than her usual amorphous style. Her yearning is tangible in simple yet evocative lyrics, as well as in the tense vibrato of strings on The Age of Innocence and the sustained keys on Keepsake. Traces of experimentalism from her first two records appear in droning synths and faint tape whirr, elevating songs that might otherwise feel too drab.
A Shift in Mood
The mood shifts on One Shall Sleep, where Roxanne layers celestial synths and strings with her soft, languorous drawl. She transforms a Schumann lied into something lush and epic, fit for a dream sequence. Wishful (Draft) continues this transcendental feel with Julee Cruise-style wooziness. Even when instrumentation clears on Cover Me, the atmosphere is upheld by affecting choral performance and Roxanne's breathy lead vocals. As she pleads to "cover what will never be again," a sense of closure emerges.
Other Notable Releases This Month
- Yu Su: Foundry – An exploration of "in-between music" with dubbed-out ambient and minimal techno, featuring collaborations with Dip in the Pool, Memotone, and Seefeel.
- Various Artists: Toothpaste for Your Elephant – A 16-track compilation on DIY label Ó Mhaidin, with highlights from Thorn Wych, Idol Ko Si, and Kulku.
- Rees: Music for Stalagmites – Dense, dark downtempo club tracks inspired by slow-growing rock formations, with field recordings of dripping water.
