Anna B Savage – ‘You and I are Earth’ album review: The ultimate ode to finding peace in uncertainty
THE SKINNY: Anna B Savage is reinventing the meaning of intimacy and authenticity. In the music industry, particularly in folk and indie spaces, there’s almost an unspoken battle to capture what constitutes “realness,” culminating in countless discourses that rarely come close to an answer of what crosses the line and what doesn’t. Savage, on the other hand, exudes the definition with rhetoric-less effortlessness, allowing the gentleness of her voice to guide the way.
You and I are Earth isn’t just a record; it’s an open diary entry, an ode to Ireland, and a love letter to soulmates, all wrapped in one. From start to finish, featherlight acoustic notes underscore Savage’s extraordinary vocal delivery, which boasts both delicate, alternative-leaning tonality and a more confident theatricality. It’s startling but most romantically, culminating in hard-hitting moments when least expected.
“When I cry, you say I taste like the sea,” Savage sings in ‘Talk to Me’, one of the many poetic lyricisms that prove this is an artist who knows the power of words to capture experiences and feelings as profound as finding solace in the soothing existence of something or someone else. It also embellishes the idea of seeking sanctity, knowing that the only way to discover gratitude is to exist in the moment while understanding that patience truly is one of life’s greatest virtues.
Perhaps that makes her words so profound, appearing as delicate sprinklings of a voice that has encountered the answers in the crux of uncertainty. As she put it: “One of the things that I was reading while I was making this record was Manchán Magan’s Thirty-Two Words for Field, and the idea that language can have an explicit connection to the land. When I am in Ireland, that sense of grounding is vast but also intimate, and sometimes it’s a bit magical and sometimes a bit scary.”
For fans of: Coastal walks and self-discovery.
A concluding comment from a raver: “This barely touches the sides.”
You and I are Earth track by track:
Release date: January 24th | Producer: John ‘Spud’ Murphy | Label: City Slang
‘Talk to Me’: With a gentleness that could only be compared to nature’s delicate breeze, ‘Talk to Me’ immediately showcases everything the singer sets out to achieve on the record, coasting the line between vulnerability and open-mindedness. “The thing I feel nervous about is that it is so delicate and subtle,” says Savage, “and the attention economy has made us desire big shiny things that will whisk us away.” [3.5/5]
‘Lighthouse’: Intimacy defines ‘Lighthouse’ as Savage allows her sultry vocals to take centre-stage, paying homage to delicacy’s gorgeousness to the backdrop of the oceanic gaze. [4/5]
‘Donegal’: Capturing her soft, burgeoning connection to her new home, Savage pours her heart into ‘Donegal’, pleading to be looked after through her incessant desire to embrace all it has to offer. With an unexpectedly experimental edge, Savage’s vocals once again shine with a glorious edge. [3.5/5]
‘Big & Wild’: In stark contrast, ‘Big & Wild’ marks a return to the singer’s signature delicacy, with soft, acoustic-driven notes floating alongside Savage’s almost tentative vocals. The song almost feels like a whisper, signalling those more welcomed moments of light reflection amid love’s tempting embrace. [3/5]
‘Mo Cheol Thú’: Faced with a newfound realisation that “language can have an explicit connection to the land,” Savage pays homage to Ireland in this intimate lullaby, capturing the exhilaration yet trepidation of embracing something new. As she puts it: “When I am in Ireland, that sense of grounding is vast but also intimate, and sometimes it’s a bit magical and sometimes a bit scary.” [3.5/5]
‘Incertus’: Utilising the sounds of crashing waves as a conduit for exploring nature and human nature, ‘Incertus’ provides momentary respite from the need for language, reframing the entire message of the record. [3/5]
‘I Reach for You in My Sleep’: Writing in a momentary blissful haze, Savage captures the beauty and poeticism of existing in a fleeting moment in time throughout ‘I Reach for You in My Sleep’, like presenting unique snapshots of specific timestamps, all with a voice that exudes the immense emotionality of thinking and feeling beyond basic description. [4/5]
‘Agnes’: Throughout the record, Savage grazes the explosivity of theatricality with unexpected confidence, balancing the almost tentative featherlight touches of her themes with sudden waves of passion, culminating in a delicious mix of contradictory layers. [3/5]
‘You & I Are Earth’: There’s always unspoken pressure on a title track, but ‘You & I Are Earth’ epitomises everything great about the record, proving Savage’s prowess at mastering the delicate balancing act between authenticity and artistic theatricality. [3.5/5]
‘The Rest of Our Lives’: Closing the record with what seems almost like an intimate diary entry, ‘The Rest of Our Lives’ feels like Savage’s most revealing track, dancing between the power of patience and lovelorn longing. It’s spine-tinglingly good. [4/5]
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