Over the years I’ve seen Ana Egge perform live a number of times, from house shows to mid-afternoon sets at festivals, to hotel rooms at Folk Alliance. Many times those appearances were with other musicians and I’ve noticed that Ana’s superpower seems to be making other artists sound better than I remembered. Now she’s directed that talent inward on her new album, Between Us. Although Egge’s music is generally bucketed in the folk genre, she pushed way outside that envelope on this record.
Horns play a prominent role on several cuts. Wait A Minute goes all Memphis soul on you as it lays down some rules on the relationship. Saxophone makes a highlighted appearance on Heartbroken Kind, another soulful tune about relationships. This time it’s commenting on the kind of person who likes it when things don’t work out. The most impactful song on the album is We Lay Roses, a co-write with Gary Nicholson. A lonely, piercing trumpet conveys the sadness of losing a loved one. When Egge sings about friends saying hello, and goodbye, it perfectly captures that process of turning a life into good memories.
Egge also knows her way around a synthesizer. Somewhere along the way she must have spent a lot of time with 80’s pop radio hits. There’s a deep vein of that running through this project. Be Your Drug is a bright, jazzy play on love with drums and keys. Don’t Come Around is a lush, textured number filled with angst that would have made Morrissey proud. Sorry also has a slow, dark feel with synth and drums that’s another take on a troubled relationship. Want Your Attention is pure pop genius. If some teen heartthrob doesn’t cover this, there’s no justice in the world.
I was surprised that this is Ana Egge’s 12th album. The amount of creative output isn’t what caught me off guard, but rather that she was under my radar for that long. If you’re a fan of hers, Between Us further pushes the boundaries of her music, and is a good addition to the tome. If you’re not familiar with Egge, there’s no time like the present and Between Us is a great place to start.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.