One Breath (album)
| One Breath | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Anna Calvi | ||||
| Released | 7 October 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Genre | Art rock | |||
| Label | Domino Records | |||
| Producer | John Congleton | |||
| Anna Calvi chronology | ||||
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| Singles from One Breath | ||||
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One Breath is the second album of British singer-songwriter Anna Calvi, released on 7 October 2013, by Domino Records.[1] The album was recorded at Black Box studios in France with mixing completed in Texas by Calvi's new producer John Congleton.[2]
Calvi described One Breath as "the moment before you've got to open yourself up, and it's about how terrifying that is. It's scary and it's thrilling. It's also full of hope, because whatever has to happen hasn't happened yet."[1] Domino has described 'One Breath' as a "bold and confident record that begins an exciting new chapter in this uniquely talented artist's career".[1]
The trailer for One Breath, credited to longtime collaborator Emma Nathan, was released on 5 August 2013. The artwork for the album was created by photographer Roger Deckker.[3]
Music Week awarded Calvi their Album of the Week for One Breath. The album was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize.[4]
Singles
The first single from One Breath, titled "Eliza", premiered on Monday 19 August 2013 on Lauren Laverne's BBC Radio 6 show at 11am. The song was well received by This Is Fake DIY calling it "a cinematic strum of a lead track".[5] It was officially released digitally and on vinyl on 1 October 2013 featuring the non-album track "A Kiss To Your Twin" as the B-side.[6] The Special Edition LP also included a bonus 7" featuring two new songs: "Endless World" and "1970s Wind".[1]
"Suddenly", the second single from One Breath (backed by Calvi's cover of Fire) was released on 7" vinyl and digitally on 23 December 2013.[7]
The third single, "Piece by Piece" was released as a digital-only single on 31 March 2014 and featured no B-side.[8]
Critical reception
| Publication | Score | Quotes |
|---|---|---|
| NME | 8/10 | "There's new confidence here, a sense that she's stretching herself musically and lyrically" |
| Uncut | 8/10 | "Londoner sings from the depths on second album, makes the heart soar" |
| Mojo | 4* | "One Breath is, indeed, breathtaking, and an undeniable upgrade on its much-vaunted predecessor." |
| Q | 4* | "Beautiful and candid, One Breath proves Anna Calvi has her frailties. They just happen to be as captivating as her strengths." |
| The Guardian | 4* | "One Breath is truly cathartic, but it will leave you a quivering wreck." |
| Evening Standard | 4* | "A testament to painstaking fervour" |
| The Independent on Sunday | 4* | "sophomore smack-down of grand, fearless ambition" |
| The Mail on Sunday | 4* | "Calvi's sensual, almost operatic musical persona is warmer and wilder than before" |
| Financial Times | 4* | "Artist’s vocals are enveloped by a dreamlike mix of distorted riffs, insistent rhythms and ornate orchestrations" |
| Irish Times | 4* | "you never quite know what’s coming next with Calvi, but the anticipation is both delicious and satisfying" |
| Plugged | 89% | "Anna Calvi's icily, beautiful charm continues to deliver." |
| The Scotsman | 4* | "artist of single-minded intent and uncompromising vision" |
| Sydney Morning Herald | 4* | 'High drama doesn't quite do [it] justice' |
| The Fly | 4* | "'One Breath'…will surely burrow under your skin" |
| Total Guitar | 4* | "ambitious in scope and strewn with confessional lyrics" |
| The Line Of Best Fit | 8/10 | "she’s ripped the ripcord and is delivering the beast within" |
| The 405 | 8/10 | "epic, explosive, fragile and tender in equal parts" |
| This is Fake DIY | 4* | "Teaming her dark, sultry torch-singer side with something more personal has worked wonders. One Breath is a beautiful, atmospheric triumph." |
| Music OMH | 4* | "as compelling as ever" |
| Allmusic | 4* | "One Breath feels like the work of an artist who has been given (or has at least given herself) carte blanche. Elegant and poised, yet undeniably coiled and ready to strike at the first sign of a threat." |
| The Mouth Magazine | 9* | "still evokes the same crucial component of her darkly thrilling art: the notion that Calvi is as equally likely to slash any canvas as decorate it." |
| Drowned In Sound | 7/10 | "One Breath benefits from its variety and from a taste for experimentation which, striking subtle chords that invite the listener to stay and revisit.[9]" |
| Consequence Of Sound | 4* | "One Breath is a dynamic statement from a young woman who could very well be the next David Bowie or Nick Cave." |
| Rock & Folk | 5/5 | "The certainties that come with age make us realize what we don't know about the future" |
| Alarm Magazine | Best Albums | "On her second LP, singer-songwriter Anna Calvi displays unimpeachable balladry, halfway between torch songs and sweat-soaked garage rock.." |
| mX | 4* | "If anyone wondered how Anna Calvi could top the delectable art-rock form of her self-titled debut, One Breath will put any speculation to rest." |
| Press Association | 9/10 | "This album's another dark, brooding, yet mesmerising set of songs, made all the more haunting by her wonderful vocals." |
| The Daily mail | 4* | "The variety [of One Breath] suggests the London musician is here to stay." |
| Metro | 4* | "It spikes from ephemeral to epic at any given moment but this record suggests Calvi is an artist in control – and hitting her second album stride." |
| Mail on Sunday | 4* | "Those who frothed before will again, as One Breath is better still, Calvi’s sensual, almost operatic musical persona warmer and wilder than before." |
| Scottish Daily Express | 4* | "Another dramatic album" |
| Scotland on Sunday | 4* | "An artist of single-minded intent and uncompromising vision." |
| The Daily Star | 8/10 | "This is award-bound." |
| The Sun | 4* | "A triumph" |
| Weekend Sport | 5* | "An album rich in style and texture" |
| God Is In the TV | 4* | "A colourful slide towards some kind of glacial psyche, strings rising over mountaintops, jaunty rhythms, and a genuine sense of doors about to be opened" |
Track listing
All tracks written by Anna Calvi.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Suddenly" | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Eliza" | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Piece by Piece" | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Cry" | 2:54 |
| 5. | "Sing to Me" | 4:01 |
| 6. | "Tristan" | 2:42 |
| 7. | "One Breath" | 4:43 |
| 8. | "Love of My Life" | 3:06 |
| 9. | "Carry Me Over" | 5:27 |
| 10. | "Bleed Into Me" | 3:41 |
| 11. | "The Bridge" | 2:08 |
Personnel
- Anna Calvi – vocals (lead), guitar, vibraphone
- Mally Harpaz – marimba, vibraphone, harmonium, dulcimer
- Daniel Maiden-Wood – drums, vocals (backing), marimba, guitar percussion
- John Baggot - synths, organ, moog bass, piano, prepared piano
- Fiona Brice - string arrangements, conducting
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Anna Calvi, One Breath". Domino Records. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ↑ "Message from Anna - new album". Anna Calvi. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- ↑ "Photo by annacalvi". Anna Calvi Instagram. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- ↑ http://www.mercuryprize.com/aoty/shortlist.php?Year=2014
- ↑ Listen: Anna Calvi Streams ‘Eliza’ Track From New Album
- ↑ "Domino - Singles - Eliza". Domino Records. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ↑ "Domino - Singles - Suddenly". Domino Records. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ↑ "ANNA CALVI ANNOUNCES PIECE BY PIECE AS NEXT SINGLE - OUT MARCH 31ST". Domino Records. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- ↑ Zevolli, Giuseppe (2013-07-13). "One Breath: Review". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 2016-04-25.