Anohni and The Johnsons – ‘My Back Was a Bridge For You To Cross’ album review: a soulful masterclass
After immersing herself in the rich creative world of New York in the 1990s, ANOHNI rose to prominence in the 2000s with her collaborators, The Johnsons. After releasing universally acclaimed albums such as I Am A Bird Now, ANOHNI experimented with solo material such as 2016’s Hopelessness. However, for her latest project, My Back Was a Bridge For You To Cross, ANOHNI has reunited with The Johnsons for the first time since 2010’s Swanlights.
Thirteen years on, ANOHNI and The Johnsons’ reunion is upon us, and the wait has been worth it. Over ten songs, the band paint an exquisite picture of themes such as grief and environmental annihilation, with producer Jimmy Hogarth, who previously worked with Amy Winehouse, contributing guitar to the dreamy record. Talking to the New York Times, ANOHNI insisted that the record’s primary theme is feeling. “There’s an idea I was raised with in misogynist postwar Britain that feeling and rational thought were opposed,” she explained. “We have a right to have feelings.”
On the opening track, ‘It Must Change’, a smooth, soulful number, ANOHNI demands we pay attention to the climate crisis, referencing wildfires and oil, stating, “Your God is failing you, things must change.” However, feeling becomes central to the song’s structure, with the singer adding a few lines later, “The truth is that our love/ Will ricochet through eternity.” Even in the face of adversity and environmental collapse, love and compassion remain guiding forces.
The record moves between silky, laid-back cuts and flashes of abrasion and discordance. The breezy opening track is followed by ‘Go Ahead’, which begins with grinding, raw guitars before ANOHNI sings lyrics like “Go ahead kill your friends/ I can’t stop you” with a theatrical quality that cannot be listened to passively. As guitars wail in the background, the short ‘Go Ahead’ becomes one of the record’s most vital and confronting moments.
ANOHNI pays tribute to her dear friend Lou Reed in ‘Sliver of Ice’, who passed away in 2013. Emphasising the importance of feeling yet again, ANOHNI describes the acute sensation of tasting ice on her tongue, something Reed had told her about before he died. The song is mellow and slightly melancholic, but ANOHNI retains a sense of celebration in her vocal delivery as she sings, “I love you so much more/ I never knew it before”.
Moreover, ANOHNI plays with form and content, creating a dichotomy between her lyricism and instrumentation. For example, the upbeat and foot-tapping ‘Can’t’ reveals a tragic narrative about the difficulty of accepting a loved one’s death. The urgency of ANOHNI’s feelings propels the song towards a euphoric ending as the drums crash and her voice picks up a slightly gravelly tone.
Many tracks on My Back Was a Bridge For You To Cross feel innately cinematic, such as ‘Scapegoat’ and ‘Rest’. While ANOHNI’s voice is always the guiding force of each song, the instrumentals accompanying her are gorgeously complex and evocative, from guitar riffs that sound like emotional outbursts to delicately subtle strings. ‘Rest’ is arguably one of the record’s high points; it’s sensuous and warm, with drawn-out guitars and percussion, making for a captivating listen.
Over a decade on from ANOHNI & The Johnson’s last collaboration, My Back Was a Bridge For You To Cross, is a pure delight, perfect for late nights and moments of deep contemplation. While there are small moments of complacency, the record is undisputedly beautiful, highlighting ANOHNI as a masterful songwriter.
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