Pure Air is an album of covers and re-workings and I like to call it a gift to the fans. Not many other artists would release an album like this, and hardly any of those would put much effort or love into it. This however is full of both, and indeed exceeds her first album. If her upcoming new album is as good as this we’ll be in for something special. My gripes here are small- there are some re-workings of songs I didn’t like too much- I would have preferred versions of Ice Water and Sunken Soldiers Ball instead of say Witnesses and Day After Yesterday. Some have complained about the male vocals on a few songs and I admit that I felt the same way at first. I have since come round and now quite enjoy each new guest singer. Again, and this is totally personal, I would have preferred an Alanis song like Unforgiven or Wake Up which I think Anneke would be excellent at, and although I like her version of Power Of Love here I can’t help but wonder what her version of Jennifer’s Rush’s Power Of Love would be like. Majestic, I presume. All that aside this is a beautiful album, packed with emotion, brilliant songs, wonderful cameos, and more greatness from Anneke.
`Blower’s Daughter’ opens the album- a cover of the already perfect Damien Rice song. Anneke sings the song well, but it isn’t as good as the original. She sings with emotion, I just don’t think anyone could equal Rice’s. Perhaps it would have been better if she had done it in a more fragile voice, still good, just not as good as I thought it would be when I first saw the track list.
`Beautiful One’ is an acoustic version of the first song from Anneke’s first album. The music is softer, less complex, and less intrusive allowing more space for Anneke’s voice to shine. Her vocals are strong here, but I have the same feelings here as I have about the original in that it becomes repetitive. I believe this version is better though.
`Wild Flowers’ is a cover of a Dutch song by FRANK BOEiJEN This is what the album is all about- simplicity, subtlety, Anneke and a guitar, and when it works it is breathtaking. Wild Flowers follows this, a beautiful song using lonely, fragile flowers as a metaphor for whatever you like. It is highly melodic and suits Anneke’s voice perfectly, sung with a fleeting sadness, a gentle melancholy.
`Day After Yesterday’ slows things down, another acoustic version of a previous album track. The main problem here is that both versions are quite similar so an acoustic version doesn’t really add anything. A toned down Sunken Soldiers Ball would have been more different and exciting.
`Come Wander With Me’ is also similar to the first album version, but it was already a much better song than Day After Yesterday. Anneke again sings it beautifully and it is a joy to hear a slightly different take on it.
`Valley Of The Queens’ is a cover of Aeryon and is another strong song. It’s arrangement does manage to evoke feelings of a time long past. The flutes here serve the song brilliantly and along with the background strings it strives for a mystical tone which it doesn’t quite manage. That doesn’t matter though as it remains a great song, and quite different from the original.
`To Catch A Thief’ is my favourite song here, a duet with John Wetton from Wishbone Ash/ Uriah Heap. There are so many varying melodies in the song, excellent lyrics, and Wetton’s gruff vocals act as a good counterpoint to Anneke’s. I would like to hear her sing this with someone else, but I don’t have a problem with Wetton as some do. The lyrics speak of a broken relationship, of the swaying back and forth. I’ve always felt that this song has some sort of post modern Western feel, like Cowboys in the future or something.
`Ironic’ may be my least favourite song on the album, not that there is anything wrong with it, I just prefer the original and think Anneke could have sung it with more power. Like I said earlier Ironic is not one of my favourite Alanis songs and I would have liked Head Over Feet. The song is quite sparse with Anneke’s voice (accompanied by a male singer) drowning out a very soft guitar- even without her singing anywhere near her best.
`What’s The Reason’ is another cover, a gentle, melodic love song dealing with confused thoughts. Anneke only comes into the song in the second verse, the first part sung well by Niels Geusebroek. The following harmonies are made to sound like the couple have been doing duets for years, and the backing guitar follows the voices beautifully.
`Yalin’ is almost identical here to the original, another strange choice when she could have picked another song and drastically changed it. I suppose that was never the point of the album, but this almost sounds like a copy and paste rather than a re-recording. Still a good song though.
`Somewhere’ is a song by Within Temptation, starting with the fragile, heartbreaking vocals by Sharon Den Adel. Already an excellent, Anneke joins in giving a more powerful, emotional blast. The song sounds like it should be on the credits of a film, possibly one about lost love. In fact, I can’t help thinking that this song should be used for a missing kids campaign. As silly as that sounds it is sure to stay with the viewer/listener. With its tender nature and ghost like vocals it is a song that you are unlikely to forget. Sharon is probably the best suited singer I’ve heard with Anneke so far, recorded and live.
`Witnesses’ is a much softer, cut down, and haunting version of the original but it may be the weakest song on the album. It doesn’t particularly offer anything exciting, but it does leave a strange feeling with you after it ends- perhaps it would have had more power if it had been a hidden track at the end.
`The Power Of Love’ shows one of Anneke’s greatest strengths- her ability to turn songs that I never liked before into ones I love. I still don’t like the original version, but I now have a greater appreciation of the lyrics and emotion behind them which Anneke brings to the forefront. This is quite a soft and quiet take on the song, mostly led by the vocals with the guitar barely noticeable in the background giving a atmosphere similar to Tori’s Me And A Gun but without the horrific themes.
Overall this is the classic `solo’ or non-Gathering album her fans hoped she would make. It showcases all of her best qualities and features some inspired collaborations. There are many classic moments here, and when they come they are exquisite. For me the album could have been even greater if it had a few different song choices, but as I’ve said before the songs I don’t like here may be someone else’s favourites and are probably Anneke’s. And who am I to argue with genius?
The Spac Hole 