Anna Calvi / Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi
(Domino)

There was something unusual about the way Domino announced they'd signed Anna Calvi; it's hard to put your finger on, but they seemed sincerely proud - a kind of 'you won't believe this act' that went beyond the usual 'you won't believe this act' you tend to hear. Eyebrows were raised. Who is this Calvi? Fetch me her record!
And as you've probably heard by now, the red carpet was pretty justified. The singer takes a grand romanticism in what she does, and it comes off like a tragic ballet directed by (yep, him again) David Lynch: you can pretty much smell the rose petals being thrown over our tragic heroine as she howls away during 'The Devil'.
However, this isn't one of those albums that seeks to mellow you to death in the tradition of Mazzy Star: Anna Calvi is a thrilling narrator of epic pop songs, all soundtracked with flourishes of flamenco guitar (played electrically) and delicately wounded whisperings.
'Blackout' achieves the kind of supernatural melodrama that Bowie's been trying to perfect for decades, while 'No More Words' signs Calvi up to the Dark Poets Society, joining the ranks of Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch et al.
The record is strongest at its bookends - 'Desire' feels like a Christmas number 1 written by John & Jehn, while the epic finale 'Morning Light' has a climax worthy of a grand opera - but the focus is strong and compelling throughout.
Entirely honest and not a smidgen overblown, this debut manages to elevate life to the status of grand drama with the utmost conviction. Amazing!