I started listening to Funny Cry Happy Gift with a bad attitude. I mean, would anyone have given Anders half a chance is she wasn't hipster director Allison Anders' (Gas, Food, Lodging, Mi Vida Loca) daughter? Or if she didn't happen to know PJ Harvey and J Mascis? Isn't it totally unfair that some people get to grow up around famous people and "bump into" PJ Harvey on the street, while others end up with dads who are track coaches at the public high school the next town over and are stuck chatting with the pervert who sells sneakers at the Foot Locker in the mall?
The answer to all of these questions is: "Shut up, you whiny dork!"
Funny Cry Happy Gift convinces me once again that I really need stop reading press releases before listening to the CDs they accompany. This is a terrific disc. It was produced by Ms. Harvey, who also contributes some vocal, guitar, bass and organ tracks. Mr. Mascis lays down mellow drums on some tunes. Anders has a rich, vulnerable, slightly twangy voice that switches smoothly from young and innocent to bad-assed to worn and wary. Her songs are personal and expressive, and the simple, generally slow music really highlights her lovely voice.
"Person I Knew" is a simple, guitar-based alt-country weeper all the way through. "White Frost Hills" is like a fragile, quiet version of the Replacements' "Anywhere's Better Than Here." I can't listen to the dark, ominous duet (with J. Mascis?) on "I See How Much Has Changed" without thinking of some of Nick Cave's spookier collaborations (hmm, a PJ Harvey influence?).
"Here I Forget" is another heartbreak number, this time with killer harmonies and some nice melodic guitar playing deep in the mix. "Concrete Like Quicksand" is the disc's peppiest track, although the lyrics aren't exactly happy. In general, Anders' lyrics are sweet but cautious, like she's had some hard times but she hasn't quite lost all hope yet. That's a nice place to be, and it gives her songs a subtle energy that keeps me interested and wanting to hear them again.
This is really good stuff. Anders has a lovely, versatile voice and she writes pretty and subtle but memorable songs. It really doesn't matter who her parents are or who she knows; she deserves all the breaks she gets.
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