Anane’s World
Singer Anane cooks up some sizzling tracks on her new CD, Anane’s World.
A few of the disc’s selections lack energy; a couple tackle less-than-thrilling themes, as with a paean to motherhood--laudable though it may be--called "Rock the Cradle." But opening track, "Walking on Thin Ice," a driving dance anthem that embodies hot synth pop, gets things off to a promising start, with the guitar driven "Plastic People" hard on its heels: the second song is a black-edged fairy tale that drives its point home with the couplet, "Plastic people--I see through your evil!"
Though "Rock the Cradle" may seem like a candidate for any dance CD the Lifetime Channel might want to issue, it does offer some Spaghetti Western reggae, glossed over with a Zap Mama sheen. "Terra Longe" is a sweet burst of Brazilian passion leavened by cool jazz: a frolicsome fusion that characterizes several; of the disc’s tracks, including "A New Born Day" and "Bem Ma Mi," which is lacquered lounge, smooth and seductive.
"Bigger Than Life" is a soothing confection of airy vocals and rain-tapping percussion; things liven up, though, with "My Sexy Way," a tune Prince would have been proud to author: "It’s so hot to be my sex slave!" exclaims Anane with complete confidence. "Touch me all over my body, babe!" Straight guys may need to resort to a fire extinguisher. Guest vocalist Roberto Cavalli can’t keep up on "Love to Love You Baby," but he does deliver a suave, gentlemanly performance.
"Let Me Love You" continues the theme; it’s danceable fluff, and quickly forgotten when things take off with "Let’s Get High" and "Shake It," two crackling tracks that go by in a blaze, what with Anane’s hip-hop boasts and a playful arabesque underscoring her declaration that she’s "the Queen of Sheba!"
Anane’s a dazzling artist in any language, as this multilingual album shows. She’s never shy about what she wants to say, even if on one or two tracks, she doesn’t seem to be saying much. When she talks, though, you listen--with your whole body.
by Anane
Label: Nervous Records. Release Date: February 16, 2010). Price: $10.98. ASIN: B0031Y4A5I
