Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
There is a moment, a second of time about a minute into the first track of Anna Corcoran’s E.P., Anything Better, where you realise you are not just listening to a woman so adept at her piano but that she also writes incredibly evocative lyrics. She sings them with such a big smile upon her face that she is instantly transformed from another talented woman from Merseyside to somebody who is musically attainable but also unbelievably excellent at providing a narrative that crushes any resistance you might be able to put in her way.
Coming off the back of working alongside Robert Vincent on his debut album, the scintillating Life In Easy Steps, Ms. Corcoran delves into her own world and the result is three songs that provide an effortlessness escape from life, the stolen ten minutes away from the self-imposed pressure that gets to everyone each day. Robert Vincent’s acoustic guitar paves the way on the beautiful E.P. title track and soon enough Anna’s voice fills the air like a wandering ray of sun through leaves covered in droplets of rain. Fallen Easy continues this musical journey and the suggestion of influence of Heart’s Nancy Wilson and the mellower tones of Tori Amos filters through and gives it a real sense of beauty.
The stand out track on the E.P. though is the burlesque/19th century music hall imagery of The Show. The combination of suggestion of the passionate lyrics, the quality of the drama that unfolds before the listener and the arrangement of the music itself make it a very well observed song and the intimation that the woman is physically in control whilst the men are reduced to beings of just pure slaves to her life is perfect.
It is easy to see why Anna receives much acclaim for her live sessions but to capture this great sound on disc in the studio is a huge bonus. Anything Better is a fantastic E.P. which serenades and speaks volumes of the quality of Anna Corcoran’s work.
Ian D. Hall