While we're sure there will plenty of eyes directed at another female singer's long-delayed album dropping today, we feel that it'd be a pity if that caused Annie's excellent sophomore effort to get overlooked. Anne Strand, better known as simply Annie, was all set to release Don't Stop a year ago before abruptly cutting ties from her record label and pulling the album from the release schedule. Word filtered through that she was reworking tracks and recording new material. We'd heard the unreleased version of Don't Stop and while it wasn't perfect we weren't sure if this album revamp was really necessary.
It turns out it was, and the version of Don't Stop hitting wide release today is a punchier collection of songs that replaces a few of the lighter a fluffier of Annie's inclinations with songs that are both catchier and slightly weirder and more catchy.
The martial sing-song of "Hey Annie" serves as an excellent intro, kind of an electronic answer to the sound of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk"that perfectly tees up what's to follow.
http://chicagoist.com/2009/11/17/roc...able_annie.php