Album Review - Go To Hell - Star Anna

Hailing from the small eastern Washington city of Ellensburg, best known for wind and rodeos, Star Anna now bases herself out of Seattle. And really, we're glad to have her. The first time I heard Star Anna sing was last Fall at a show at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. Several weeks later I saw her perform at the Outlaw Roadshow in New York City. Both times I was utterly impressed. Her voice is amazing. It's like Ann Wilson and Stevie Nicks smooshed together. The soul, the power; Star Anna's voice is one of those that you can't stop listening to, and one that you won't get out of your head.

Titled Go To Hell, Star Anna's new record out September 24, is her first release as a solo artist, and for what it's worth, she did a hell of a job. Star's voice matches perfectly with all the genres sampled in the ten songs on the record, from blues to blues rock, from country-esque, to country rock to rock, she covers it all and covers it all well. Since it arrived in the mail earlier this week I've listened to the record in it's entirety at least twice every day, sometimes more. It's that good, people.

Recovering from a personal life in turmoil, Star Anna seemed to focus her pain and rage into this album. It shows in all the songs, all the words, be they her own or someone else's, she makes them hers and takes them where they need to go without looking back.

The album opens with a song which over the last year or so has become a favorite of mine. Though For Anyone wasn't written by Star Anna, and I'm more familiar with another artist's version of the song, she took the song and transformed it; it's hers now. In her rendition of the song you can hear her emotion, hear her anger; the lyrics are somewhat fitting to her situation, or to really anyone who has had their heart ripped out and stomped on:

I've been drowning in this city of rain
You ripped right through me like a runaway train
God-damn I loved you
Now I just wait around
For anyone

I expected the title song to be full of anger and hate and powerful, gut wrenching vocals. Sure, it has all that, but it's wrapped in a soft, bluesy, could be mistaken for a love song if you weren't actually listening to the words song. For another awesome, angry song, that in different words, but the same feel, tells the subject of the song to go to hell, check out Let Me Be; phenomenal stuff right there.

My favorite songs on the record, after For Anyone, are Mean Kind of Love, a deceptively upbeat song with a lovely country vibe, with Star Anna's voice giving the song a youthful spirit, but at the same time the words are killing you. And then there's Electric Lights. This is a song where it's tough for me to describe exactly how it makes me feel. There's just something about this song that I absolutely love. Maybe it's the lyrics (probably the lyrics,) maybe it's the flow of the song, maybe it's the guitars, maybe it's Star's vocals, maybe it's just the whole damn song.

Another favorite is the cover of Elvis Presley's Power of My Love. This is the first song that I ever heard Star Anna sing. This is the song that made me say to myself, "Holy crap, this girl can sing." Everyone should stop listening to the Elvis version, just forget it exists, this is the only version of the song anyone should ever listen to ever again. Star Anna's powerful, yet almost effortless vocals reel you in, suck you in to the total agony of being in love.

Go. Get. This. Record. It's still available for pre-order (along with some other goodies, while you can still get them) here:
http://www.sparkandshine.com/bands/star-anna
Or go order it from Amazon, or check out your local record store next week, see if they have it. If not tell them they need to get it. GET IT.