Release Date: 29 September 2017
Label: Kscope
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 802644748528
Description
Fresh from supporting fellow Welshman Manic Street Preachers and performing to 35,000 people across the UK as main support and special guest on the Simple Minds acoustic tour, The Anchoress reissues her critically celebrated debut album at a special mid-price.
The Anchoress is the moniker of Welsh multi-instrumentalist Catherine Anne Davies. Her debut album, 'Confessions of A Romance Novelist', was first released in 2016 to widespread critical acclaim.
The album was named amongst the Guardian critics' Albums of the Year, won HMV's Welsh Album of the Year, Best Newcomer at the PROG awards, and a nomination for the Welsh Music Prize.
MOJO described Davies as being in possession of "a devastatingly powerful voice". The Observer called it "a blackly witty break up album...compelling", while PROG magazine described the record as "Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love updated for the 21st century".
The genre-hopping, expansive production of 'Confessions of a Romance Novelist' draws on influences as far and wide as Prince, Tori Amos, Roxy Music, The Carpenters, and David Bowie. On the album, Catherine plays a variety of instruments, including piano, guitar, flute, omni-chord, mellotron, wurlitzer, glockenspiel, and celeste, as well as sampling church bells, and an orchestra of typewriters.
The album features a guest performance from Paul Draper (ex-Mansun), who Catherine has recently been working with, co-writing and recording his forthcoming solo album 'Spooky Action' (due on Kscope in August 2017). She will be appearing as a special live guest as part of his sold-out tour this September.
The Anchoress recently recorded a special filmed acoustic session for the BBC iPlayer and was interviewed on STV's Live at 5. She also appears on the recently released BBC DVD performing a special guest tribute to David Bowie as part of Simple Minds' Radio 2 In Concert
The singles have received heavy rotation from BBC 6Music and been playlisted on Radio X. It lit up the web, going to number 2 on the HypeMachine and number 11 on the AppleMusic video chart, as well as being interviewed by The Quietus, Noisey & the Line of Best Fit.
Critical praise for the album:
"... a devastatingly powerful voice." MOJO
"One of 2016's most affecting records... a collection of songs that sets a high bar for intense, soul-tearing pop music. 9/10." THE LINE OF BEST FIT
"...Fascinating." SUNDAY TIMES
"...a blackly witty breakup album.." THE OBSERVER
"...Karen Carpenter singing John Grant." UNCUT
"...Hounds Of Love, updated for the 21st century." PROG
Description
Garnering comparisons to John Grant and Lana Del Rey, The Anchoress's concept driven compositions have been the talk of the music press in 2016. PROG magazine - who've nominated her for best-newcomer at their awards - went as far as proclaiming her debut album as "...Kate Bush's 'Hounds Of Love' updated for the 21st century."
Her singles have received heavy rotation from BBC 6Music and lit up the web, reaching number 2 on the HypeMachine and number 11 on AppleMusic's video chart. The Anchoress' debut album has been lauded by the music press, racked as one of HMV's "best albums of 2016" and has found fans in the likes of Peter Gabriel (who selected it for his album club), and the Manic Street Preachers, whom she supported and duetted with on 'Little Baby Nothing' at this summer's Eden Sessions.
The new 2 CD edition follows a run of summer dates, including a sold-out London headline show, festival sets at Latitude and WOMAD, headlining the BBC stage at Great Escape. The Anchoress has also appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 3's The Verb, been interviewed by MOJO and The Guardian, and now finds herself nominated in this year's PROG Awards best newcomer category.
Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, PhD & producer Catherine Anne Davies (who also plays in the live line-up of Simple Minds) sums up her album's overall concept as, "Partly a concept album narrated by the titular potboiler author, partly a series of imaginary character pieces, and partly a deeply personal outpouring from someone who's been through a fair amount of personal hell."
Whichever way you choose to describe The Anchoress' compelling debut 'Confessions Of A Romance Novelist '(co-produced by Mansun's frontman Paul Draper) one thing's for certain, this is something truly different.
Co-producer Draper has helped Davies capture a collection of songs on which she has played a variety of instruments, including piano, guitar, flute, omnichord, mellotron, wurlitzer, glockenspiel, and celeste.
This new edition includes a bonus disc of 5 brand new acoustic versions, featuring string arrangements from Gillian Wood. The 2CD set will be presented in a digipack with 16 page colour booklet.
"...addresses the peaks and troughs of love, commitment and betrayal. Fascinating." SUNDAY TIMES
Tracklisting
Tracklisting
Jonathan Hulten
Anathema
Tesseract
Tangerine Dream
Oceansize
Ozric Tentacles
The Pineapple Thief
Tangerine Dream
The Anchoress
The Anchoress
The Anchoress
