Anna Calvi
by Anna Calvi
  • Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Mar 1, 2011
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
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  1. NOW Magazine
    Feb 24, 2011
    100
    Whether howling eerily over a low, rhythmic pulse or riding a huge riff, Calvi's sensuous presence brings much-needed sexual heat to today's tepid rock 'n' roll landscape.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    Feb 10, 2011
    90
    It'd be hard not to draw parallels between Calvi and [...] PJ Harvey. Yet while both women ooze an elemental kind of passion, Calvi is unashamedly slicker, especially when compared to Harvey's earlier, grungier work.
  3. BBC Music
    Feb 10, 2011
    90
    In a world overflowing with female singer-songwriters, Anna Calvi's exceptional guitar playing and raw, elemental style certainly mark her out as different from the herd.
  5. Mojo
    Apr 6, 2011
    80
    Italian-blooded debutante rocks passionately. [March 2011, p. 96]
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  6. The New York Times
    Mar 21, 2011
    80
    As Ms. Calvi sings about the overpowering forces of heavenly love and demonic passion, she can go from whisper to cataclysm in four minutes, and she regularly does.
  7. AllMusic
    Mar 1, 2011
    80
    Capturing the intensity and raw emotion of her captivating live shows, Anna Calvi is an ambitious and always intriguing debut which heralds the arrival of a unique and inventive addition to the plethora of U.K. female singer/songwriters.
  8. The Guardian
    Feb 10, 2011
    80
    Each song feels like a one-night stand; some you slink away from, heart untouched –- but with others you fall torridly in love.
  9. PopMatters
    Feb 9, 2011
    80
    As an opening hand, it's a winner. It's defiantly mysterious, moonlit, and belongs on the periphery of pop, beckoning us mischievously to leave the mundane behind.
  10. Uncut
    Feb 8, 2011
    80
    It's a fearless rejection of current pop trends, fashioning a benchmark of intensity and originality that the rest of this year's albums will struggle to match. [Fed 2010, p.94]
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  11. Pitchfork
    Mar 1, 2011
    78
    Calvi's outstanding vocal tone and arrangements carry the emotional punches, while her lyrics can occasionally take a backseat role.
  12. Filter
    Mar 10, 2011
    74
    Unlike Cave, who drags all those poor characters of his down into that gruesome purgatory he calls a soul, Calvi simply lays hers unabashedly bare before us. Never have the aesthetics of doom been called to the service of so much exuberance.
  13. No Ripcord
    Apr 1, 2011
    70
    While a fairly brisk listen, the album does start to drag in its second half. Not that the later songs are particularly weak, but the only thing that really marks them out from those in the first is that they're a bit quieter.
  14. Under The Radar
    Mar 9, 2011
    70
    It's obvious Calvi has a gift. Her commanding voice calls to mind some of the most powerful female performers in rock history. [Feb 2011, p.62]
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  15. Clash Music
    Feb 10, 2011
    70
    For all the PJ Harvey comparisons Calvi will inevitably attract this record is more alternative cabaret than gothic melodrama -- and much better for it.
  16. Q Magazine
    Feb 2, 2011
    60
    There's a little too much in the way of filler, but this is a promising start. [Feb. 2011, p. 113]
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  17. Drowned In Sound
    Feb 10, 2011
    30
    What Calvi's debut is a mixture of sprawling guitars that teeter somewhere between Tortoise's mathy noodlings, Deerhunter's brownish hue, Hendrix's fade outs and Howling Bells' shimmering grunge-gaze.

Awards & Rankings

55
#55 Most Shared Album of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Dingo
    Jun 30, 2011
    9
    It's not entirely unique, but it really stands out. I'm completely sold on the vocals, as well as the chilly-timbre guitar. When I listen toIt's not entirely unique, but it really stands out. I'm completely sold on the vocals, as well as the chilly-timbre guitar. When I listen to this record I picture a very large space, subsequently filled with her mesmerizing, bold sound.

    On another note, the guitar work evokes The Sadies for me, and it makes me wonder what kind of fun chamber-country they could brew up, if ever they were so inclined...    … Full Review »
  2. LuizCC
    Jul 30, 2012
    8
    The power within the songs of this album is mind blowing. Calvis's voice is blast, something apart from other singers nowadays. The melodiesThe power within the songs of this album is mind blowing. Calvis's voice is blast, something apart from other singers nowadays. The melodies are beautiful, and the musical references from flamenco to hard rock makes every song in the album stand out on it's own. It's clearly the inspiration from PJ Harvey, and in a good way. The one thing that is quite unclear is the songwriting that is a little shaky. But Anna is a talent to keep an eye on.… Full Review »
  3. hydrawithears
    Oct 3, 2011
    8
    Anna Calvi is not just a younger PJ Harvey. Sheâ
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