Anna Nalick’s Wreck of the Day: Find Beauty in the Wreckage or Walk on by
The records that take a decent singer with decent songs that tell decent stories and pick suitable arrangements for them to convey such. I also have an affinity for such a record that has a conversationalist’s feel. A record that doesn’t sound so much like a record as it does a close friend sitting down and venting over their day. Anna Nalick has made me one happy camper.
A 20-something from California, Anna outwardly appears to be another link in the long chain of female singer/songwriters. And even if some believe that this is so and that her music is average at best, a close listen to her debut, Wreck of the Day, proves that Anna is no cheap knockoff of some great FSS before her and that there may not be many of her kind after.
Vocally, Anna has a very familiar, comfortable, and pleasant, if not terribly strong, voice. If comparisons have to be made, I’d say she vocally comprises the nimbleness of Sarah with the conviction of Tori and splashes it all with a little Dolores O’Riordan for good measure. Musically, Wreck of the Day is an extremely solid collection of 11 self-penned tunes that (thankfully) focus less on the details and commercial appeal and more on the honesty and reality; this is Anna’s life. Welcome to it.
Fortunately, lead single, “Breathe”, is a deserved AC hit that radio and video outlets haven’t completely slept on. Supported by a dulcet piano line, with lush acoustical backup, pensive lyricism and Anna’s delicate vocals, the song has a refreshing, clearheaded quality that affects the listener in the same manner.
One gets a sense of clarity as one listens and follow the song’s instructions to ‘breatheâÂ?¦just breathe’; in effect, to change all we can and accept what we cannot. Done in such a graceful yet understated manner, Anna really shows the natural poise of her capabilities. And yes, it gets better. In fact, the songs seem to somewhat unintentionally collide and flow into each other, making a seamless transition into one cohesive project.
“Citadel” is less acoustic/piano and more of a mid-tempo rocker, with the traditional mellow verses/roused choruses. In a succinct 2:47, Anna, her electric guitars, and easy percussion contemplate leaving her comfort zone, her ‘citadel’, to face the harsh realities of life in hopes of bettering herself. Or at least, that’s my construal of the situation. Another great thing about singer/songwriter records with slight-cryptic lyricism; the openness of interpretation can make for great listening/conversation.
So Anna makes a decision and jumps from a mid-tempo rocker to a more energized mid-tempo rocker (read: mellow verses/more-roused chorus) and realizes life is as beautiful as you make it, even if you have your head stuck inside a “Paper Bag”, literal or symbolic, to shield yourself from harsh criticism and degrading comments in order to maintain your confidence and self-esteem. Again, my interpretation.
Then we move into gorgeous, full-steam ballad territory with the country-esque title track. And I’ll be damned – ok, not damned, surprised – if Nashville doesn’t get smart and revamp this into a smash ballad for some country vixen somewhere down the line. The song already has a subtle country lean, with the slight-twanging acoustic guitar, wailing bass in the background, and lingering percussion.
All sounds Anna makes her own as she mends her broken heart and distances herself from her latest “Wreck of the Day”, realizing that “love doesn’t hurt so I know I’m not falling in love, I’m just falling to pieces.” Couple the sincere lyricism with her stung vocals and you have the makings for one gorgeous ballad any female singer/songwriter would give her right arm and guitar for.
Still, Anna’s both a lover and a fighter so she quickly bounces back and finds a place to lay her anchor down with the mid-tempo “Satellite”. It’s nice to see Anna so quickly regain faith and hope in love, declaring how love “might be just like me; jaded, waiting all alone”. It’s nice to see people still do believe in love and crap like that. And Anna sees her faith and hope pay off with the following ballad, “Forever Love (Digame.)”
With a simple piano line, metronomic percussion, and weepy guitars, Anna sings with such a, again, graceful yet understated, conviction as if love is the end of her world. She entreats the object of her affection to simply reciprocate such feelings so she’ll know once and for all none of her efforts were in vain. And when done in such a purely gorgeous manner, it’s hard not to make her wish your command.
But Anna’s a smart girl and knows love isn’t the end of the world and can be quite the jaded, callous woman when she wants. “In The Rough” finds the, albeit very, very, very, Alanis side of Anna break through as she kicks an ex to the curb, defiantly exclaiming – you say you know all you did not know before/and I offer no sympathy for that/I hear that it was you who died alone/and I offer no sympathy for that/better off I sparkle on my own – with quite a bitter taste in her mouth. OK, so with Anna’s demeanor, the execution is more bittersweet and might be a bit too nice to have a harsh impact but it does prove the girl’s got more guts than we all thought.
But some lessons we just never learn and Anna once again lays herself on the line in hopes someone will return the favor with “In My Head”. The sensitive elegance of the production gels with Anna’s delicate vocals smoothly (the Delores vibe is strong here) and shows that Anna’s smartness plays a key role with her decision to love this time. She proclaims that she doesn’t want to be fool-hearted and comprehends that again, her heart may be the only one in the relationship. But her “make-believe will get (her) through another lonely night” and no matter how delusional that sentiment might be, who are we to bust her bubble?
Yet again, she laid herself on the line and again she got burned. And a girl will only take so much so she quickly retorts with the most acidic record to be found, “Bleed.” Against a cascade of drums, guitars, and tambourines playing a funky game of tug-of-war, Anna gives her most effervescent performance yet, sounding ecstatic over the fact her lover’s deceit can’t penetrate deep enough for any real effect.
Sounds like a woman in anything but pain to me. But the happiness isn’t quite as long-lasting as one would’ve liked as Anna has what might be a ‘rude’ self-awakening.
The brush-tapped percussion, half-tickled piano, somber guitars, sorrowful stringsâÂ?¦the whole demeanor of the song seems to be a bit lethargic and blurry-eyed as Anna picks at the scabs of her heart and somewhat reluctantly accepts that she might have been her own “Catalyst” for such scars. He’s probably more to blame but still, there’s a sense of doubt and reluctance in Anna’s vocals that indicates she might be more content with lying to herself than with accepting her own faults.
Sometimes truth might be the realest feeling we have yet the feeling we least want to feel. So you can’t fault Anna if she decides to hold on to the self-delusion for a little longer. In fact, you find yourself more endeared to her as you realize she’s more like a close friend, more like yourself than you might’ve thought.
However, Anna’s true awakening comes in the form of the finale, “Consider This”. After all has been said, experienced, and done, Anna’s come to know exactly the type of woman she is and that she’s (surprisingly) comfortable in her own skin and that any and all future lovers need not apply if they expect any difference. She might be the “wreck of the day” but if you can’t find beauty in the wreckage, then just glance over and keep moving.
Such sentiments should be held in regard of the whole album. Either accept it and enjoy it as is or don’t bother at all. At a concise 42:00, this album is a rare instance where it’s short but it doesn’t feel that way. It’s the perfect length and adding or subtracting from the story would’ve probably done more damage than good. For a debut, it showcases what I feel the epitome of every singer/songwriter album should; it’s mellow but not boring, upbeat and catchy but not generic, confident but not arrogant, articulate but not verbose, personal but not egotistical nor pretentious.
And the fact that Anna managed to carve out an identity for herself in the process is icing on the cake. Sure, comparisons can be made but never does one ‘influence’ emanate so strongly that you mistake Anna for an imitation of someone else. Throughout it all, you never lose sight of the fact that you’re listening to Anna Nalick.
Here, we have a debut album by a female singer/songwriter full of great music that doesn’t think it’s better than it is and an album whose critic hype isn’t without merit. Anna Nalick really is as good as she’s been said to be and if she’s this good at her instigation, she just might be the one of the *insert loved female singer-songwriter here* of our generation.
Watch out. Wreck of the Day just might become the sleeper hit of the year.
