Secret Meeting score: 68
by Joseph Purcell
Following the promise of her debut collection, First Songs, Kansas City native Anna St Louis enlists the help of King Tuff’s Kyle Thomas and Pacific Northwest gem and Woodsist label owner, Kevin Morby, as she seeks to spread her wings and hone her gentle brand of spacious folk on new album, If Only There Was a River.
2018 has continued the explosion of immaculate female artists, many of which are sure to trouble countless end of year best of lists. Debuts from Lucy Dacus, Tomberlin and Haley Heyndereckx have complimented returning works from the likes of Laura Veirs, Adrienne Lennker, Neko Case and Kathryn Joseph, on a landscape abounding with impeccable albums of graceful beauty.
If Only There Was a River ignites with the winding ghoulishness of opener, Water – a delicate taster to the melange of imagery and tantalising vocals within. Emanating above an exquisitely picked guitar, the track flows forward with mesmeric force and certainly warrants the beauty of its title.
Single, Understand, is a highlight – gently swaying through the haze of a late summer evening, as St Louis beautifully enmeshes the listener on a voyage of immaculate strings and a sensational choral delivery; all combining to display her voice at its very best. While Hello seemingly comes straight from the Townes Van Zandt songbook, encompassing a whimsical musical structure with an effortless delivery that manages to sound both simple and at the same time immensely intricate.
Anna St Louis has produced an intriguing debut, intermittently scattered with tracks of brilliance, yet held back by others that promise, but meander and lose focus. In order to progress and deliver fully on her immeasurable talents, her finest moments must become more widespread and uninterrupted. St Louis has the ability to stand among the finest female voices at the epicentre of the creative movement in 2018. However, consistency is what so far alludes her.
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