Anjulie - Anjulie Dig (13 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

Decent debut

Greg Kinne | midwest | 08/04/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Guyanese-Canadian chanteuse Anjulie is the latest "It" girl surrounded by a massive amount of hype since ol' what's her name. Although you can objectively fill in the blank with whatever "hip" female songwriter of the past five years, Anjulie and her songwriting partner Jon Levine (ex of Philosopher Kings) possess enough chops and variety on her self-titled debut to keep things interesting.

Anjulie has demonstrated she has a wide array of musical influences reflected on this album such as Nancy Sinatra, Alanis Morrissette, Lauryn Hill and Annie Lennox. The first few tracks on Anjulie's debut run the gamut from the stylish and swaggering guitar twang of opener "Boom" to the retro-disco of "Some Dumb Girl." "Addicted2Me" is flawed as the falsetto that Anjulie adopts grates at certain times. However, that' s a small price to pay for a debut as eclectic as this one. The album effortlessly segues from hip-hop (The Heat) to her singer songwriter shtick (Colombia, Same Damn Thing) but tends to overwhelm the listener because Anjulie's all over the musical map. If there's one major fault of this album it's that each song on this album seems to be written as a single for whatever guise Anjulie is adopting. Perhaps on her next album, Anjulie will find one genre to explore and immerse herself in fully."

The new "next big thing"...

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 08/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With a light airy yet expressive purr remniscent of Corinne Bailey Rae's or even Gospel singer Nicole C. Mullen's, 25 year old Anjulie's music is as rich as her heritage. Of Indian, Canadian and Guyanese descent, her music runs the musical gamut from the Jazzy Latin-tinged "Columbia", the acoustic/Ska-tinged "Same damn thing" to the bouncy contemporary R&B sound of "Addicted2me".

Opening is the single, the retro Nancy Sinatra-style "Boom" with creepy Morricone-sounding guitars and intermittent bursts of Brass. "Rain" is a stunning lilting summery ballad ("He got a knife in my back, stop turning please"), while raising the tempo a wee bit is the horn-peppered retro Soul "Some dumb girl" (with a groovy bassline, in which she commands her lover to "Keep your clothes off, I'm not rushing out like some dumb girl).

A sweeping overture ("Crazy that way intro") leads to the stripped piano ballad "Crazy that way" (with dramatic strings and multi-layered vocals coming in). Other standouts are the Ragga/Hip Hop-tinged "The heat", the corny yet sweet ballad "Love songs", the litling Soulful "Day will soon come" (like something Ms Bailey Rae would sing, with lyrics declaring her impending stardom) and closing Bollywood-tinged "Jamba" (think M.I.A and you get the picture).

All of the songs were penned by Anjulie, or co-penned (and produced) by Jon Levine of the Canadian R&B group Philosopher Kings. Rich and highly impressive, this is one album you'll get hooked on. An eclectic melange!"

Who is this girl!!??

king_lee | Baton Rouge, La | 11/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Whats so funny about my first interest in this album was actually when i saw the cover when i was scrolling through the album recomendations on here. This cover was just so pretty to me that i clicked on it to find out who this girl was. Then i listened to the samples and was blown away!!!I dont listen to this kind of music fluentlly. But this cd is totally creative and her voice is so pretty i enjoy every song on this cd but the highlights are:

Rain

Some Dumb Girl

Crazy That Way

Love Songs

Buy this cd its really good!!"

Refreshing change...

V. Smith | Albany, NY | 10/30/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was searching this site for a different sound and found this little gem! Anjulie has a lovely, sweet voice showcased through her use of many different musical styles. There's a pop, soul, bossa nova, 60's girl group (esp. in I Want the World to Know). My faves include: Boom, The Heat, I Want the World to Know, Love Songs and The Day Will Soon Come. To radio: play this CD!!!"

A solid debut of silky sweet goodness...

Andrew Ellington | I'm kind of everywhere | 10/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With a beautiful and unique voice, and a slick style that drips over every track, Anjulie's self titled debut is an album you really should check out. With influences ranging from hip-hop to rock to pop, not to mention cultural flourishes and a beautifully controlled 60's vibe, this is a really solid collection of infectious dance tracks.

Starting off with `Boom', her first single (the video is delicious) and a surefire major hit. With European flare, infectious `boom' musicality and that intoxicating voice that just caresses your eardrums. What I love so much about this girl is that she maintains that accent while she sings, which is something that is hit-or-miss with a lot of singers, who lose a lot of their personality when they sing so technically proficient. Anjulie is instantly recognizable with those vocals. She follows that track up with `Rain', a spunky little track that sports a borderline rapped verse structure that still manages to contain a smooth elegance of Anjulie's vocals. She should do that more often. Along the same vein of `Boom' is `The Heat', a feverish dance track that capitalizes on Anjulie's exotic sensuality and is primed and ready for radio play. While the beats on the album can seem simple and rather standard for their flavor of hip-hop, there are minor, subtle touches of culture that really set them apart from the rest of what we hear today.

I LOVE the 60's pop vibe of `I Want the World to Know'. It has such style and, while obviously pulling from an influence decades old, it sounds so fresh and exciting. The same can be said for `Day Will Soon Come', a more laid back track that has a slick vibe and simple yet memorable beat.

The album closer, `When It's Love', is just beautiful; nothing else needs to be said. Her voice is like silk, and the simplicity of the track only adds to its purity.

Those 6 tracks are really the standouts for me. The rest of the album is also very good, but these are the best (in my humble opinion). Tracks like `Some Dumb Girl' are instantly likable (and that subject matter is just so appropriate, don't you think). `Columbia' has a really nice sweetness to it; an earnest loveliness. `Crazy That Way' (and the intro) are good songs, and I know that they have a following with her fans, but they are not my favorites here. `Love Songs' is another one that I just don't really get into. `Addicted2Me' is a mellower dance track, like a laid back `Boom'. It's a nice spin on the dance track, but it doesn't have the power of `Boom' or `The Heat'.

`Fatal Attraction' reminds me of something one of those teeny bop queens would put out if they had a little more guidance. It has a soft edge that most popular teen sensations don't have yet would totally benefit from. `Same Thing' is a bouncy track that has a very likable factor that keeps you entertained and makes you smile.

It's a cultural thing.

So, I completely recommend this purchase to anyone wanting a fresh experience that will leave them with a smile. Anjulie has the talent, the looks, the style, the...everything really. The album is not perfect (sometimes it's not always a good thing to offer so much, you start to slack and produce filler) but it is a solid debut that holds a lot of promise for perfection to come."

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