EP Review: Annie-Dog - '15'
The music scene in Ireland has always been something to marvel at, the list of artists the country has produced is endless, and it certainly hasn’t slowed down, if anything…it has sped up. A machine that can’t be stopped. The latest artist to emerge from the endless pool is Irish indie electronic artist Annie-Dog.
Annie-Dog, who is currently on a trajectory that is only pointing upwards, is releasing her latest EP ‘15’ on the 27th of February via Dance To The Radio. The Dublin-based artist and producer effortlessly floats between genres, and the EP is a mix of indie-pop, electronica, with hints of grunge throughout. ‘15’ is a collection of five songs that the artist has described as “near and dear” to her.
The EP will without a doubt be hit with huge acclaim following the reaction to her single releases, giving listeners a preview of what to expect with ‘15’. The lead single, Have I Been Living? was released last Autumn, while the latest single Please Forgive Me, David Gray was released back in January. While each track on the EP has the recognisable Annie-Dog sound, the almost otherworldly, eerie vocals and electro-pop blends, they are all unique. Each one has a different production style, different meanings buried within the lyrics. One common theme, however, which the artist herself has also spoken of, is that of love and loss of it. While she prefers to let her pieces do the talking, Annie-Dog has admitted that how she is affected by love is what she will “naturally gravitate towards when writing.”
Annie-Dog opens ‘15’ with What Happened. An otherworldly track, a blend of grunge and pop, the familiar pluck of a guitar can be heard underneath the mix of synths and drum machines with glitching vocals on top. Any keen ears might hear similarities between the melody of this track and Jesse McCartney’s Beautiful Soul…a real 00s throwback (and not at all a bad one)!
What Happened. is followed by Have I Been Living? which was the first single from the upcoming EP. It is an ethereal electro-pop track, powerful enough to engrain itself in one’s brain after only one listen. It feels nostalgic, with influences from the 90s and 00s laced throughout, hints of artists like Imogen Heap, Robyn and the Pet Shop Boys. Sticking to the theme of nostalgia, the lyrics “I don’t wanna talk about my old self / Have I been living in the past? / All of the things I never had” all reflections on the past and being stuck in it mentally. Annie-Dog focuses on the all too relevant human condition of being trapped in the past, overthinking events and conversations or focusing on things they didn’t get or achieve. She disguises the somewhat heavier theme under infectious pop melodies.
The penultimate track is the latest single released before the EP ‘15’, Please Forgive Me, David Gray. Originally made for her own sake, Annie-Dog never intended to release this track, which is a unique take on David Gray’s Please Forgive Me, from his White Ladder Album. However, the track got a lot of attention from fans when it was played live, and demands were made for its release. The track itself scratches an itch in the brain, the artist’s distorted voice repeating Gray’s well-known lyrics “feels like lightning running through my veins” over a futuristic-sounding melody. It’s “Annie-Dog meets David Gray” a modern twist on a well-loved classic, and a necessary addition to the EP.
The Feeling In My Fingertips has more of a lo-fi, dreamlike feel to it, not dissimilar to Pink Pantheress - it’s a mix of eerie, low-level vocals, synthesisers and drum beats. While the final track, Little Italy, is the perfect closer for the EP. It’s an indie pop fusion that has lyrics and a melody that listeners will be humming for days after. It sounds like summer - fresh, fun, “bedroom pop” to quote DORK Magazine.
Annie-Dog has proved she is one to watch with ‘15’, offering the world five tracks that showcase her ability to jump between genres, effortlessly blending them together to produce pure magic. Fans of Pink Pantheress and Frou Frou will find their next favourite artist in the Dublin newcomer. One can only hope that there’s no slowing down for Annie-Dog. With one EP already under her belt, Fish, and this latest one, ‘15’, being released on Thursday, she’s certainly making her mark within the indie realm.
Words by Angela English
