Annamay - F*ck You (Self-Released)

Annamay is a singer-songwriter based in Stockholm, Sweden, and she just put out her debut album, F*ck You, after releasing a handful of singles. Although music has been integral to the artist for her entire life, only recently has she returned to it from a career as an expert level engineer in underground infrastructure and urban planning. Nevertheless, there is a confidence in her voice as if she has been recording for years, and her style is a fairly straightforward brand of pop-rock with light touches of folk and country thrown in, inspired by the likes of Tom Petty and Joni Mitchell.

The album immediately starts off strong with the laid-back country rocker “I’m Gonna Wake Up,” featuring contributions from songwriting legend and poet Tom Kimmel. Although one would expect from the album title a more vituperative anger in Annamay’s voice, such a punk spirit is largely absent here. Instead, the sentiment is clear in songs like “Disparage Me For Nothing” and “Surf Through Life” where the artist expresses a strident, individualistic voice, and a clear sense of joie de vivre. F*ck You is both subtle and surprising in its charms, and it bears repeated listening to fully uncover the meanings behind Annamay’s evocative lyrics.