Having had the privilege and pleasure to catch this dazzlingly deviant duo in concert on several occasions this decade, this album of covers seemed all but inevitable. Here, much to my delight, the diminutive diva and her frizzy-haired ivory tickler present some of these practiced though never before released songs on disc for the very first time.
Durtro Jnana
Mixing what might be called standards with more contemporary pop fare, When Good Things Happen to Bad Pianos re-imagines the established originals through Paul Wallfisch's spare, smoky piano arrangements and Little Annie Anxiety Bandez's uniquely experienced and moving vocal tone. The cover artwork depicting a severely neglected and surely abused piano may be striking, but this menacing exterior does no justice to the delicate, exquisite artistry enclosed within. Annie sounds perfectly at home on comfortable cuts like the Barbara Streisand staple "The Summer Knows" as well as the excessively interpreted "Yesterday When I Was Young" and "Song For You." Yet with Wallfisch at her side, she regularly finds ways to challenge herself while paying tribute to the songs she so clearly loves. After listening to this album, I cannot fathom a more suitable singer to tackle the Mark Knopfler penned Tina Turner classic "Private Dancer" than Annie. Matching and, at times, even exceeding Turner's distinct delivery, she evokes the desperation and disgust of the lyrics, all without going over the top even for a second.
Despite my learned familiarity with her repertoire, Annie still manages to deliver a surprise or two. She sounds downright bluesy on Candi Stanton's 1978 disco hit "Victim," which features guitar work and backing vocals from New York music mainstay Kid Congo Powers. Of course the biggest shocker has to be the restrained cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I’m Looking For." Though the overplayed original continues to haunt a pre-programmed Clear Channel station near you, Wallfisch ascetically hones in on the melody buried under all that production work to lay a base for Annie to croon and riff over.
Although not as compelling as the incomparable Songs from the Coal Mine Canary, the magnificent 2006 album of originals, the immensely enjoyable When Good Things Happen to Bad Pianos hardly classifies as a stopgap release. Unlike other artists who toss out covers records for less than legitimate purposes, these cherished interpretations are just as much a part of the Little Annie and Paul Wallfisch experience as their own material.
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