In her second album, Staring at the Sky, Anna Stafford presents an eclectic mix of hard rock, Americana and heavy metal violin sounds. The result is a passionate expression of violin that is not relegated to the typical classical and bluegrass violin songs; Anna Stafford is paving the way for nontraditional, innovative string sounds.
Performing only with her cellist husband, John Krovoza, Stafford is able to create a surprisingly full, rich sound in both her up tempo pieces and ballads. She consistently provides a poignant feel to each of the tracks in Staring at the Sky, easily uniting them under the umbrella of expressive heartbreak.
The title track, “Staring at the Sky,” hints at heavy metal, particularly with its memorable melody and rhythmic introduction. Stafford’s collaboration with Krovoza is clear in this piece; they play together with an ease that makes “Staring at the Sky” smoothly rich.
“Arizona Washington” is a standout ballad on this album. Played with slightly subdued violin, the soaring melody and ensuing duet becomes more moving, and it eventually touches on a brief Americana sound. Overall, this rich track brands the Americana style with sadness, one that is deeply moving.
Other excellent tracks on this album are “Everything Black,” a frantic rush of string sound with sloping melodic lines leading to heartrending apexes of sound, and “Many Thoughts,” a primitive, percussive piece that briefly approaches a manic pace.
The voice of Anna Stafford’s violin brings a hot-blooded feel to genres that may be stereotypically more angry than entirely passionate. With this added emotional edge, Staring at the Sky, in both its ballads and up tempo pieces, is a deeply rich exploration of emotions, made more acute by Stafford’s intense and powerful playing.
new
pop
Reviewer: C.J. Trent Reviewer's Rating: 8.5 Reader's Rating: 0 Reader's Votes: 0
