The overcrowded female singer-songwriter genre receives a much needed breath of fresh air with Tiffany Anders's full-length debut, funny cry happy gift. Produced by PJ Harvey, the CD bears little resemblance to that vener... more »ated artist's catalog, as it's more inclined toward a Neil Young feel. There is also a sense of mystery here lacking in the majority of folk-rock and alt-country acts that clog the indie/college circuit. Miss Anders's material, which is all self-composed, reveals a depth of songwriting belying her 26 years. Songs like "Solitude's Ring" and "White Frost Hills" are subtle meditations on the vagaries of love and love lost sans cliché or easy truths. This disc is an empathetic call to the lonely--assuring one that emotional upheaval is universal and sometimes the best medicine is reflection rather than self-pity. Anders comes on like some sort of modern-day Bobbie Gentry in that she is frustratingly hard to pigeonhole. Too rock for the Ani crowd and too folk for the Sleater-Kinney enthusiasts, she bravely charts her own course by merely being herself. A stunning debut. --Mike Johnson« less
The overcrowded female singer-songwriter genre receives a much needed breath of fresh air with Tiffany Anders's full-length debut, funny cry happy gift. Produced by PJ Harvey, the CD bears little resemblance to that venerated artist's catalog, as it's more inclined toward a Neil Young feel. There is also a sense of mystery here lacking in the majority of folk-rock and alt-country acts that clog the indie/college circuit. Miss Anders's material, which is all self-composed, reveals a depth of songwriting belying her 26 years. Songs like "Solitude's Ring" and "White Frost Hills" are subtle meditations on the vagaries of love and love lost sans cliché or easy truths. This disc is an empathetic call to the lonely--assuring one that emotional upheaval is universal and sometimes the best medicine is reflection rather than self-pity. Anders comes on like some sort of modern-day Bobbie Gentry in that she is frustratingly hard to pigeonhole. Too rock for the Ani crowd and too folk for the Sleater-Kinney enthusiasts, she bravely charts her own course by merely being herself. A stunning debut. --Mike Johnson
CD Reviews
I keep trying to like this...
bearcat007 | Lacey's Spring, AL USA | 08/06/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"...but the struggle is fruitless. I came into this CD with high hopes - After all, I had heard various magazines praise Tiffany Anders, and I knew that PJ Harvey was producing this particular CD. After listening to it for about two months, I'm both disappointed and more than a little frustrated. The songs themselves are slow, sparse, and acoustic. If you have a tendancy towards Low or Cat Power, you would most certainly appreciate the background music.As to the quality of Anders' voice... well, this is where I'm forced to take away the stars. I do not require perfect vocals, (heck, my favorite artist is Liz Phair) but there is a piercing, whiny quality to Anders' voice that is simply unlistenable to me. I can appreciate "unique" voices like the above-mentioned Phair, Sarah Slean or Kirsten Hersh, but Anders' sheer nasal whines sound, like a reviewer said before, like nails on a chalkboard. On certain songs, like "Here I Forget" her vocals have been toned down, and the resulting song is a gorgeous and lilting meditation of the persistance of memory. "I've Seen How Much Has Changed" is practically a trio with Anders, Harvey, and a male singer (Who is this guy?) singing together. The contrasting styles between the strong, weary tenor, Harvey's powerful background vocals, and Anders' own noise serves to weaken Anders' already dismal efforts. I literally cringe whenever she starts up her third of the song. This CD had much potential - It is easy to see why Harvey would want to help Anders' exploit her talent for song writing. However, Anders' either needs some more vocal training or needs to join a band where she would not be the lead singer."
Sparse Beauty
Eric Vondy | Phoenix | 05/01/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a spare and haunting album featuring PJ Harvey and J Mascis. Harvey playes electric guitar and sings background vocals while Mascis plays drums. But both are quite subdued compared to Tiffany whose laments shine. Primarilly acoustic, it conjours a less twangy Gillian Welch or Neko Case's slow songs and is on par with Kristen Hersh's Sunny Border Blue. It also evokes Elliot Smith's early solo CDs. It's a lonely, sad work filled with sparse beauty. Think of a female Mark Linkous from Sparklehorse putting on a mostly acoustic show. Harvey's background vocals add an eerie overtone to most of the songs.It's the kind of CD David Lynch would take on a road trip if he was in a good mood."
I'll be interested to see how she grows as an artist
deafeningwhisper | Chicago, IL. | 02/05/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I LIKE this record. I'd give it 3.5, maybe even 4 stars. If I'm still listening to it in a few years, then the 4th star will be warranted.After only a few listens, there are several songs that have captured my appreciation. I enjoy the sound of Anders voice. It has this piercing yearning quality that has always appealed to me in singers. Alex Chilton of Big Star singing a song like 'I'm in Love with a Girl' conjures up that same feeling for me. I can understand how some might now appreciate her vocal delivery though, and I was quite amused by some of the descriptions below. She does have a limited range, and there is a sameness to some of her vocals, so I can understand some being put off. Perhaps joining a band having dual or mutliple singers would be the best showcase for her, thus masking and enhancing some of her limitations as a vocalist.All I can say is that I'm touched by this melancholy record. It was better than I was expecting. Good slow to mid-tempo rock record, with contributions by rock legends, PJ Harvey and J. Mascis. Can they by so wrong? Decide for yourself."
First heard her in the movie "Things Behind The Sun"
David Lee | Austin, TX USA | 11/08/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I was watching the Sundance channel the other night and saw a very sad movie called "Things Behind The Sun" directed by Tiffany's mother, Allison Anders. Allison uses elements of her own harrowing experiences as she was growing up in certain themes in the movie and uses a wide variety of music in the movie's soundtrack including a couple of her daughter's songs "Flooded Starry Night" and "Here I Forget". This was the scope that I first experienced Tiffany's music and thought it was a perfect accompaniment as the protagonist deals with a tragic experience in her past. I don't think the movie is available on amazon, but it featured some great music by Beachwood Sparks, Nick Drake, LeftBanke, Tiffany Anders, and many others. If you happen to catch the movie, be warned that some of the scenes are very intense and show humanity at its worst."
It's all the same
Summer Pierre | Somerville, MA | 05/29/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I was incredibly disappointed with this album. Every song sounds the same and Anders' song craft feels underdeveloped and amateurish. I am always on the look out for new female voices, and was excited to hear PJ Harvey had produced this album. It does not deserve the hype it is getting. If you like atmospheric Mazzy Star before they knew how to write songs, this album is for you. Otherwise, there are plenty of artists out there who are better--save your money."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1