As the seasons change, the air gets warmer, and birds begin to arrive back from the north, Anika Moa returns with her third and most complete album to date, In Swings The Tide. Released on October 8th through EMI records, those who know Anika will be further intrigued, those who have not yet come across this 27 year old singer songwriter, soon will.
There isn’t a voice like hers anywhere. Honest and heart wrenching with an underlying soul and energy that complements the songs she writes. You may have seen the cheeky grin. It gives a small insight into the persona behind it, and the music she has made for the best part of the last decade.
In Swings The Tide is her latest offering. It takes one listen through to realise it is an album that she has poured all of her creative energies into. Featuring the new single Dreams In My Head, the sound of Anika Moa is the sound of one of New Zealand’s best loved troubadours, and one who speaks from the truth of her experiences.
Recorded at Anika’s Auckland home in 2006 seven days before Christmas and ten days later on in May 2007, the sessions were originally planned as a chance for Anika to record some demos. But in swung the tide and things changed, even down to Anika self producing her own album for the first time.
Anika engaged her favourite live musicians, including drummer Nick Gaffeney, Chip Matthews on bass, keyboardist Steph Brown and guitarist Neil Watson for the album sessions. Tim Guy and Anna Coddington add backing vocals to a number of songs. Adding a new dimension to the album, colleague and friend, Bruce Lynch (Cat Stevens) was called in to arrange orchestral parts for the album. The scores were realised by members of the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra at Eden Post Audio.
Although her trademark sound is still apparent, and that beautiful voice as present as ever, the flavour of her songs have evolved. A mixture of pop sensibilities with a country swing and spring amongst her wondrous melodies, the music speaks for itself.
Like in the words of her own song ‘this year has been hard’, from the smile on her dial you couldn’t tell a thing. Love comes and goes, seasons pass, and just after it has gone out again, In Swings The Tide.