Madorsky is following up her 2008 debut, Talk Is Cheap, with a new name & a new attitude. Talk Is Cheap was darker clouded with the focus on a romantic breakup whereas Incantation focuses more on current issues from a narrative standpoint. The focal point for this album is based on where people go when they have an existential crisis. They have plenty of clinics for people with mental illnesses, but what about for those just facing hardships in their lives. These people Anna talks about are just looking for an outlet of reassurance that is non-existent in their lives. This is an issue that is tackled and battled through constantly on Incantation.
Madorsky has such an intriguing fashion of how she performs these songs and that is through dialogue. The twist though is that Anna sings not about herself, but from the standpoint of different characters facing their own/individual crises. The inventive aspect that Madorsky touches on is that each and every character has their own set of issues everything from dealing with a troubling economy to gay rights. From one song to the next is completely different with new & insightful characters being introduced. This direct story-telling approach toward music making is of the essence for Anna Madorsky as she sets out to inspire others. She hopes that people will take this record in through hearing thought-provoking music and then in turn contemplating life in general. Anna is offering you her own existential clinic by way of her music, which is the sheer beauty behind it all.
Madorsky is a Russian-born singer/songwriter who sang her first Russian classical song at age 5 and started taking classical piano lessons. She also developed a love for pop radio when she was younger, which can be detected on Incantation. Especially on song 10, “Sandbox”, you get a heavy pop sensation by way of the beat & melody. “Sandbox” seems like a Pop hit already; a Pop smash that moves! Anna’s eclectic tastes in music shine on this record with help from her on vocals, synths, piano, guitar, Rhodes, organ, drums, noises and even production. I also picked up, while listening, on the fact that Anna Madorsky has some killer pipes with a beautiful voice. She truly has a uniquely, well-polished voice that resonates with pure & petite-sounding qualities. Anna invokes so much incantation by way of her emotions, which can be highs and lows. One minute you could be hearing her sing a nice ‘n’ pretty melody with a soft touch vocally that offers a calming/relaxing/peaceful feel. The next minute you could be hearing her lash out in a rock-out manner during the song, “Therapist’s Office”. On the next breath, you might experience Anna singing with a somber tone on “Clinic” where it seems this character she speaks of is literally trying to reach out for help. On the final track, “Soundbyte”, Madorsky goes with an old-fashioned approach, which equals out to be a very innovative new style. What I would actually call Anna’s new work would be: Modern Age Narrative Pop.
Two last songs worth mentioning on this record are: “Guillotine” and “Rhea” based on characters in Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. On “Guillotine”, you get a real sense of heartfelt pain put together in such a solemn manner. On “Rhea”, this would be the darkest of all 12 songs with a very industrialized sound to the whole set. On this number, I picked up on some unusually cool sound effects that really seemed to gel with the song.
Overall, there were some very snappy beats and excellent use of sound production being created here by the artist. Colorful arrays of sounds + interesting characters+ inspiring storyline= Incantation. This is one talented musician to watch out for, no doubt about it! For more on Anna Madorsky and her new release, Incantation, SKOPE out www.myspace.com/annamadorsky.
By Jimmy Rae
[Rating: 4/5]
