EP Review: Annie Dressner - East Twenties

 

Under most ordinary circumstances the mere term "singer-songwriter guitarist" would be met by a chorus of groans, tuts, sighs, and maybe even the occasional bit of snoring. After that, the discovery that their lyrics comprise of romance and heartbreak would be virtually coma-inducing. And yet somehow, despite the heavy presence of both of these features on her follow up EP East Twenties, New York songbird Annie Dressner has created an ear-captivating charmer in her latest release, evoking the nostalgia of a teenage romance on the simplistically melodic opening track Heartbreak.

 

That's not to say that all the songs have been written about the subject of love; I Can't Forget narrates an earnestly honest account of the death of a loved one - with the use of mournful cello alongside her storytelling talent to create a deep sense of sorrow that resonates inside many a listener. And it's these intricate yet simple descriptions of events that affect huge numbers of people that make Dressner so appealing to connect with, even in her more wistful moments such as the ones portrayed when the vocal harmonies and organ calls of Lost In A Car bring the EP to a still, peaceful closure.

So by all means feel free to go to sleep after listening to East Twenties, but at least you can do so with a massive smile on your face safe in the knowledge that you are being serenaded into your slumber by one of the most stunning young musicians to fall into the so often disregarded bracket of 'singer-songwriter'. They 'ent all Ed Sheeran, you know!