If You're Dreaming

Album review

Quit the Curse, Michigan singer/songwriter Anna Burch's 2018 solo debut, was a remarkable set of startlingly direct lyrics about frustration and anxiety set to breezy alternative rock tunes with hooks that were stronger than they appeared on the surface. Her second album, If You're Dreaming, is softer and spacier, with less of the debut's occasional jangly guitars or touches of grungy distortion. The mood is generally more ruminative, and the production is much more atmospheric, filled with glowing keyboards and glistening reverb, particular on Burch's gentle vocals. It's not quite a dream pop album, but the record's title is still entirely appropriate. If You're Dreaming definitely isn't as immediate as Quit the Curse, and while it isn't a demanding album, it requires a bit more concentration in order to understand it better. A few songs have easier entry points, such as "Can't Sleep"'s cooing wordless hook, or "Party's Over"'s lush, multi-hued guitars and "I'm so tired" refrain. "Tell Me What's True" opens with a harsh lyric ("When I used to hate myself, I saw things so clearly"), but the music itself is a loping, easygoing stroll. Likewise, "Not So Bad" counters the tense lyrical concerns with swaying saxophones and a comforting chorus. Closing track "Here With You" seems to mirror Quit the Curse finale "With You Every Day," but instead of being a more straightforward, sighing release, it starts off as a more ornate folk ballad, with delicately twisting acoustic guitars and plaintive vocals, before a brighter wash of guitars and a simple refrain provide assurance.

© Paul Simpson /TiVo