Anna Leong
After the forest fire
White Weekend
I always find it most interesting to hear the influences in some of the bands coming about these days, especially when they draw from surprising sources. Whilst one can see the obvious classic rock influences such as Neil Young and Big Star, there's also a very heavy influence of Cracker in Anna Leong. It could be the vocal delivery or the laid-back feel of the music, but it's there, and I commend them for taking on the best parts of the latter band. "After the forest fire" really is made for the fans of mid-90's American college rock. It's not a bad thing, it can just come off as a bit dated at points. However, the band excels in taking their sound to a higher level because the songwriting is very strong and they don't fall victim to needlessly dragging them out (even the almost ten-minute "Bothnian Rednecks" does not exceed its length in feel). Tracks such as "Jacket", "Fever" and the album closer "Sky is darkening" are solid pop songs, and I feel that if Anna Leong can remove the slightly dated feel of the music, they'll open up to a much wider audience.
- Matt Giordano
