An Angle

The Truth Is That You Are Alive

[3.5/5]


Perhaps the third time is a charm for Sacramento’s An Angle-essentially the solo effort of singer/songwriter Kris Anaya under a band moniker. On this, his third full-length and follow-up to 2005’s mildly schizophrenic We Can Breathe Under Alcohol, Anaya has crafted a surprisingly cohesive record, perhaps by eschewing his rotating cast of backing musicians for a solid lineup of Trevor Church on guitar, Matt Sergent on bass and Aram Deradoorian on drums. The acoustic-driven songs are distinctly mature and don’t sound as though they should be released by a record label responsible for launching pop-punk bands like New Found Glory and Midtown. The Truth Is That You Are Alive explores new instrumentations (notably the string-driven, folky “Red River”) and dances through a variety of unexpected stylistic techniques, ranging from the hooky, bluesy tones of “Falling In Your Arms” to the hushed soaring beauty of closer “You Are Loved.” Anaya’s songwriting technique has come across as eclectic and scattered on past discs, but this time he seems to know what he wants and has successfully conveyed it. The immediate comparison to Bright Eyes is, of course, still applicable, particularly when considering Cassadaga, but Anaya is well on his way to finding his own voice. (DRIVE-THRU) Emily Zemler

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Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning

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