Photo Credits: Kristie Bradley Photography
Independent Singer/Songwriter, Annah Marcelle just released her latest EP, "Aftermath" featuring five emotive tracks highlighting the stages of falling in love from the very start to what comes after it's over.
TRACKLIST
Mars
If I Don't Call Him
What I Remember
But We Can Still Be Friends
Aftermath
Annah Marcelle is based in Richmond, Virginia and has been writing songs ever since she was 13 years old. To this date, she has written over 200 pieces of music. She originally never planned on sharing these with the world, until her family and friends encouraged her not to hide away her talents. In 2020, Annah officially released her first ever single, "Start Again". Over the past 4 years, Annah has been consistently releasing music. In 2022, her song "Love Is a Liar" broke though in the indie music world with over 20k+ streams on Spotify, which led to more fan favorite songs like "Ruins" and "Running In Circles". She's inspired by emotionally detailed songwriters like Taylor Swift, Conan Gray and Gracie Abrams. She started posting covers here and there on her YouTube channel as well, along with her original music. Annah then went on to release of her debut EP earlier this year, titled "Closure". In July of 2023, Annah took her first ever trip to Nashville, Tennessee where she recorded all the tracks for her second EP, "Aftermath" which we will be discussing here! Each track was recorded at Gnome Studios and produced by Kara Greskovic.
This collection of songs captures the emotional highs and lows of relationships, from the initial stages of love to the lingering aftermath of heartbreak. Each track looks at a different aspect of connection—whether it's the isolating effect of toxic love, the internal battle to reach out to someone, or the difficulty in letting go of memories. These songs explore the lasting impact that love and loss leave on our lives, shaping who we are long after the relationships have ended. - Annah Marcelle
Mars
We start off the EP with "Mars", an ethereal mid-tempo song with a catchy, nostalgic pop beat and a stand-out guitar riff with a bright and twangy timbre. There's synths that add to the galactic essence of the song as well. Annah sings beautifully within this song; her vocals soar effortlessly with raw and pure emotion. "Mars" is about that type of relationship that takes you to another world; in the beginning it seems like a good thing, you're so infatuated that you don't even realize that you're losing yourself within them. There comes a point where you do snap out of it, and the toxicity of it all starts to become clear. You're not yourself anymore, and this whole life on Mars thing is starting not to feel good. Everything you were and everything you had feels so far away now, and you don't feel like you. Your sense of identity is lost, and the only way to find it again is to get back to Earth and into reality.
If I Don't Call Him
Next, we have "If I Don't Call Him", which is about the fear of missing out if you don't tell the person you're in love with about how you feel. However, you're too scared that they don't feel the same - so you spend a lot of time anxiously wondering if it's the right choice to say something or not. But then if you don't say something, you'll be forever asking yourself, "what if?". This song is giving Taylor Swift's 1989 era vibes, with it's addicting beat and pulsing synths. Annah sings a fast-paced melody filled with lyrics of those nervous thoughts and longings, in a very unique but meticulously crafted rhythm that fits into the production like a perfect puzzle piece.
What I Remember
Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who hurt you deeply, but they left such an big impression on you that it's impossible for you to forget them? This is what "What I Remember" is about. Even if you want to forget about them, you can't. The scars they left are permanent and no matter how hard you try to erase them from your mind, they still find ways to haunt your consciousness. "What I Remember" takes more of a simplistic, slowcore approach within the production. The tone feels more retro; an 80's drum keeps the rhythm with half-step, dissonant flickering keys and layers of somber reverb heavy synths fill the air. The lyrics are very poetic and cathartic; my personal favorite moment is when Annah sings, "The flame burned out but I still have the embers".
But We Can Still Be Friends
"But We Can Still Be Friends" is a highly emotional pop ballad with a stomping beat, crashing cymbals and sorrowful synths. This song is about being in love with your best friend, but having to cope with the fact that they'll never love you back. You're in the friendzone, and unfortunately you feel like there isn't a way out. All you can do is try to move on, but it's kind of impossible when they're always around. You can't just force yourself to fall out of love with them; but all they want is to just be friends. Annah sings her heart out with full control and heavy emotion. This song has a heartbreaking bridge that builds both lyrically and instrumentally, creating this cinematic, highly passionate soundscape that tugs at your heart strings.
Aftermath
Lastly, we end the EP on the title track, "Aftermath". This song features gorgeous acoustic guitar and stunning, country inspired vocal harmonies. The melody is very cathartic, and is reminiscent of a nostalgic Fearless or Speak Now era Taylor Swift song. "Aftermath" is about reflecting on what happens when a relationship ends; how you wonder about what could've went differently, how and why it ended, and what life could've been like if maybe it didn't end. Not only that, but how the experience of each relationship and breakup leaves an impression, and shapes us into a different person; therefore, leading us to have cycles and issues within our future relationships as well. So many breakups are left unresolved, which leave you "stuck in the aftermath", and you'll always be left wondering about what could've been.
Annah Marcelle is a beautiful songwriter with a stunning voice. The way she sings is like she's telling us a story; like she's speaking directly to her audience and that's something I really love about her songs. Her lyrics are poetic, but still remain relatable and easy to connect with which isn't an easy thing to master. Not only that, but her lyrics roll off the tongue so effortlessly. She's able to take as many words as possible and craft these complex rhythms and melodies that still feel natural and are radio worthy pop songs. I love how her instrumentals are super catchy, but not too complicated - that way you're able to focus on the story and not get distracted by the production, but can still enjoy the music itself that accompanies the emotion being sung about. I truly believe this is still only the beginning for Annah, and I can't wait to hear what she does next. If you enjoyed the tracks on the "Aftermath" EP, I highly suggest going back and listening to the rest of Annah's discography. You can find her music and all her socials below!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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