Anna Meredith - Varmints

Few musicians boast a CV quite like Anna Meredith. From composer in residence of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to collaborations with everyone from Laura Marling to The Stranglers, hers is a mixing bowl overflowing with all manner of seemingly disparate ingredients. It’s a wonder that ‘Varmints’ tastes as sweet as it does.

Channelling those classical influences down all manner of different routes, Meredith’s magic lies in the golden thread that sews it all together. Whether it’s the jarring, mind-melting cacophony of opener ‘Nautilus’ and its avalanche of horns, or the slick, honeyed pop of ‘Something Helpful’ or ‘Dowager’, her finest composition is the way ‘Varmints’ never feels piecemeal. Vibrant and kaleidoscopic in a way few musicians could ever muster, it provides a jolt of energy and inspiration to both the pop and classical inflections of Anna Meredith’s personality, bridging the two worlds like never before and marking her out as a talent like no other.