Charlotte Gainsbourg - Anna

Well, this is new. Never before in my life have I started listening to a song and immediately been addressed on a first-name basis by the singer. It was fairly creepy actually; the ethereal, breathy “Anna…” was repeated so frequently that I found myself tempted to start up a dialogue with her:

Me: “…Yes?”
CG: “All I see is your face.”
Me: “Um… This is all moving way too quickly for me.”

Anyway, having got past this and reluctantly admitted to myself that it was definitely not me she was singing about, I found myself generally underwhelmed by the track. It’s a moody, lulling, very French take on rock-pop, and it sounds sleepy and undernourished.

This song represents a slightly different sound for Gainsbourg with heavier drums, more prominent guitar, and moments where she almost properly sings instead of seductively whispering, but the plodding beat and simple melody don’t make for particularly enthralling listening. It would also be fair to say that the lyrics really aren’t the star of this song. They’re generic and forgettable words which we’ve all heard before and could easily predict: “I want you to know I was so young then / Don’t wanna be on my own again.” Baaaah.

The chorus, however, redeems the song, saving it from being a shoulder-shrugging “all right”, and making for some great music, with lovely vocal layers and an electronic sequence which sounds like Animal Collective on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Truth be told, the song’s greatest asset is that it has Charlotte Gainsbourg singing it. It’s easy to think that because she’s cool, it’s cool. It’s really not that cool. It’s fine. It won’t change your life, but it won’t ruin it either.