Angels In Sandshoes – Anna Lavigne

Barbaraville ( https://daintees.bandcamp.com/album/angels-in-sandshoes )

I first encountered Anna in September 2019, a time so long ago that it was still possible to walk over to the Half Moon in Putney and witness live music. John Perry had invited me to a Martin Stephenson gig where Anna provided some very effective vocals to a couple of songs. Just before Christmas Anna sent me her new CD and it is well worth a listen. Martin has provided a sympathetic production and simple but effective arrangements which play to the strengths of Anna’s words and melodies. It is stylistically diverse: several tracks are jazz-infused with the saxophone of Al Thomson lifting Seashore Roses and Every Kind Of Heaven. Martin’s clean-cut 50’s guitar gives a Shakin’ All Over feel to the start of Dare To Dream, and his joint vocals with Anna on I Love The Way You Move bring both the rock and the roll. Dance The Last Goodbye has an almost girl-group intro and features Anna duetting with herself to great effect. The closing A Life Of Her Own updates She’s Leaving Home, albeit with the subject running away rather than running off. Bonus points for focussing on positivity throughout and no mention of lockdown, viruses or Brexit. These songs would work well in a live setting so I hope that Anna makes it back to the Half Moon sometime soon.