Annabel
Here We Are Tomorrow
(Tiny Engines)
This is a record that has definitely grown on me. While I was fairly ambivalent on first listen, Annabel‘s Here We Are Tomorrow has shown itself to be a rather wonderful piece of energetic indie rock. Sounding like Piebald with harmonies taken from the Polyphonic Spree, Annabel conjures up big, noisy, indie pop. While getting the rock out, they simultaneously manage to produce songs that sound like the whole audience has already joined in.
This EP sounds a little fuzzy. It may have been recorded on the cheap, because it just sounds a little too lo-fi for the pop edge they band has. Were this a grittier, more punk band, there’d be nothing wrong with the rawness found here. However, those harmonies and jangly guitars need more polish. This should sound more like a Scott Litt-produced R.E.M. album and less like early Superchunk in order to get the proper effect. As it is, though, songs like “We Came As Today” sound big and anthemic, despite slightly muddied production.
The record is available on either maroon/white marble or cobalt blue/white marble vinyl, limited to a pressing 200 and 300, respectively. The sleeve is one of those screen-printed jobs, with the track listing and everything screened directly onto the plastic, meaning is you’re not careful (like me), you’ll accidently lose a letter or two.