Anna Calvi in concert to start this week off – recorded at Salle Pleyel in Paris on January 30, 2019 and broadcast by Radio France FIP.
Anna Calvi has been referred to by two critics as a virtuoso guitarist. She has stated she aspires to create orchestral soundscapes with the guitar, and is noted for her particular style of playing which involves hitting the strings in a circular motion, rather than strumming up and down. The result has been described by Q as “the prodigious wash of sound that recall Ennio Morricone, Duane Eddy, even Jimi Hendrix in its fluidity.”
Calvi has been compared to other female singers such as PJ Harvey and Siouxsie Sioux, and is noted for her powerful operatic voice. Her musical style has been described as dark, romantic, atmospheric pop, and she often uses high levels of reverb while playing guitar. The singer has said that the powers of lust are an inspiration, and her performances are deliberately sexually charged.
Anna Calvi has cited Nina Simone, Maria Callas, the rock of Jimi Hendrix, The Smiths and the Rolling Stones, the blues of Captain Beefheart, the stage performances of David Bowie, Nick Cave, and Scott Walker as well as classical composers Messiaen, Ravel and Debussy as among her influences.
She has also spoken of the influence of the films of Gus Van Sant, Wong Kar-Wai and David Lynch on her music. She admires “people that make beautiful films where the cinematography tells the story”, and tries to do the same in her own work.
Get ready and dive in.
