The beguiling voice of ambient musician Ana Roxanne has been gradually revealing itself with each release. Once bathing in a gentle flow of rippling drones and rustling field recordings on her 2019 debut then floating up for longer breaths on 2020’s ‘Because Of A Flower’, her new album, ‘Poem 1’ finds her singing more boldly in the open air. Roxanne’s latest work, for the esteemed Kranky, arrives as a suite of the most delicate, near conventional songs and it’s a revelation.
The album unfolds sequentially as if gradually mapping some internal emotional transformation. Roxanne treads carefully though, ‘Poem 1’ takes time and patience to unfold. The Age Of Innocence opens in a comfortable zone but the celestial vocal synth monotone, a familiar ambient shading from Roxanne’s previous works, becomes more of a rippling platform for her voice. “I wanted to travel home into somewhere” she sings not shyly but with a focus and concentration on what she wants to say. There’s an understated beauty to her delivery, it’s pure and unforced with the clarity of Weyes Blood and echoes of Judee Sill. Soothed by Maya Balkaran’s cradling violin, Roxanne’s closing words “Into the ground / my buried undoing” captures the deep pain of loss.
On the sleeve notes Ana thanks Baba Stiltz, the illusive electronic /experimental musician, for “stepping in and carrying this project to the finish line”. Stiltz’s support as co-producer and contributor on several tracks has more than practical implications. It underlines the personal proximity that these songs hold for Ana Roxanne and the reassurance she needed to expose this new music to a wider audience.
Stiltz’s first input as a player/producer comes on Berceuse in A Flat Minor. Op.45 where his subtly slackened bass details add more shimmer to this sombre toned lullaby. Roxanne’s piano pads softly, unhurried and thoughtful, as she sings with sad resignation of parting in the “cold light of morning”. The music of separation continues into Keepsake, where Roxanne appears to be trying to move on. “I can never reach you so I’ll keep a piece beside me / I’ll hold it like a jewel” she reveals in this subtly jazz-toned piano ballad. The song is heart aching but as she coos some warming vocal harmonies, both acceptance and hope glimmer through the tenderness.
‘Poem 1’ may primarily be a singer songwriter work but Roxanne’s ambient/electronic sensibilities continue to influence the album’s underpinning haunting dynamic. There are also a couple of short instrumental interludes, the Divachi-esque synth drone of X and the dreamy, nostalgic waltz of Wishful (Draft) but both pieces seem to be pivots from which Roxanne’s songs trace their raw emotions.
After X the resonant slowcore beauty of Untitled II is inspired by the realisation that things have shifted. There’s a fragile Mark Hollis honesty at work here, musically and lyrically. The soundscape is sparse but powerful, drummer Michael Hanf’s soothing brushed beats, the hint of bass and Balkaran’s arching violin, a foundation for Roxanne’s hymnal harmonies. There’s a sense of eventually moving on from “losing what I had”. One Shall Sleep’s lush blend of synth strings, violin and spoken word follows. A reconsideration of Romantic period composer Robert Schumman’s and poet Justinus Kerner’s ‘Stille Tränen’, the piece is transformed by Roxanne to speak for her grief. Her voice quivers slightly as she acknowledges “You have been slumbering free of pain” and “from sleep you have risen and walked through the meadow”.
The narrative hold ‘Poem 1’ has on the listener never flags, this music elevates and restores through its steadiness. The penultimate track Cover Me glides from folksy acapella to some higher plain as Roxanne sings with hope. “Cover what I lack / all of my mistakes / cover what can never be again” speaks to everyone in three minutes of the purest musicality. Atonement, the closing cut, is grander, the swooning orchestral intro easing into a soft soul shimmy, with lapping bass and doo-wop warmth that’s sure to knock Brian Eno sideways. As Roxanne dreamily sings “Running Forward and looking ahead /with a long road to go” the strings fade and ‘Poem 1’ finds resolution.
There is never a misstep on this wonderful album, its realisation is as close to perfection as you need to get. With ‘Poem 1’ Ana Roxanne has gifted us with a recording that keeps on giving and will go onto hold a special place in the hearts of many.
Get your copy of ‘Poem 1‘ by Ana Roxanne from your local record store or direct from Kranky HERE
