Album Review: Hunted by Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi is a 39-year-old English singer-songwriter. She is well-known for her ability to create cinematic and unique songs with her guitar and operatic vocals. With an impressive vocal range, she creates poetic songs with her beloved Telecaster and a heavy use of reverb. In 2011, she debuted with her first album, Anna Calvi. This was followed by One Breath in 2013. In 2018, she released her third album, Hunter, and more recently unveiled Hunted, a reworked collection of seven songs off of its predecessor, including some new, exciting collaborations.

Hunted itself is a much less refined version of Hunter. Calvi expressed wanting to go back to the original demos of Hunter. She reworked them to create the softer and more stripped down versions of Hunted while simultaneously adding to some of the songs with four different collaborations with Julia Holter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Courtney Barnett, and IDLES. 

Starting off the album is “Swimming Pool.” This song, featuring Julia Holter, is a great way to open. Its melodic music makes one feel as if they are underwater, which is a very fitting feeling considering the title of the song. The strumming reminds of a soft harp and the harmonies between the two musicians add to the almost haunting feeling their vocals offer. 

Continuing on through the album, “Eden” showcases Calvi’s tremendous vocal range, hitting both low and high notes with ease. Here her full voice contrasts beautifully with the softer voice of Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Picking up the pace in the last half of the album, “Don’t Beat the Girl out of My Boy” offers a more upbeat side to the music she creates. Together, Courtney Barnett and Calvi exhibit perfect harmonies. The lyrics in this song are deeply emotional and easy to connect with. Reflecting on a heteronormative society in which males are expected to follow strict gender norms, the lyrics express letting someone explore who they are against the toxic expectations of society. 

Collaborating with IDLES on “Wish” changes the genre of music from the usual cinematic drama to something more rock and roll while continuing to maintain the higher tempo of the song. 

Wrapping up the album is “Indies or Paradise.” This song focuses heavily on her usual reverbed guitar. It nicely ends the album with a haunting feeling, leaving us excited for more from her. Providing two different versions of the same songs, Calvi demonstrates her versatility in creating music. Hunted is an excellent showcase of her vocal range, flexibility, pure talent, and originality.