The collaborative EP ‘Is This All There Is?’ by Anna Calvi represents a profound meditation on the nature of artistic communion and the reimagining of modern classics. Rather than a mere collection of covers, this four-track release functions as a sophisticated dialogue between Calvi’s operatic guitar prowess and a curated selection of avant-garde icons. The project is less an exercise in nostalgia and more a study in atmospheric tension, where Calvi’s signature cinematic production provides a lush, often menacing backdrop for some of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music.
At the core of this release is a thematic fascination with the shattering of the self and the search for connection within an increasingly fragmented world. The journey begins with the staggering “God’s Lonely Man,” a collaboration with Iggy Pop. The track is a tour de force of vocal contrast, where Pop’s weathered, baritone gravitas meets Calvi’s soaring, reverb-drenched guitar lines. To achieve this specific texture, Calvi relies on her vintage Telecaster run through a Vox AC30, utilizing a customized pedal chain of analog delays and hall reverbs to create a cathedral-like space. This instrumental setup allows the guitar to act as a physical environment for the existential isolation of the lyrics, echoing the noir-inflected landscapes both artists have inhabited throughout their careers.
This intensity shifts toward a more vulnerable, somatic territory on “I See A Darkness,” featuring the ethereal presence of Perfume Genius. Here, the two artists navigate the skeletal beauty of a modern folk standard, transforming it into a paradigm of chamber-pop intimacy. The vocal interplay is particularly striking; Calvi’s technical precision acts as a grounded anchor for the trembling delivery of her counterpart. This track deepens the EP’s exploration of the shadow-self, suggesting that the darkness mentioned in the title is not something to be feared, but a shared space where true intimacy is born.
The most experimental departure on the EP is undoubtedly “Computer Love,” a collaboration with the visionary Laurie Anderson. This track serves as a fascinating distillation of electronic warmth and mechanical precision, exploring the friction between human emotion and digital interfaces. By recontextualizing a piece of synth-pop history through Anderson’s philosophical lens and Calvi’s textural guitar work, here utilizing ebow techniques to mimic the sustain of a violin, the duo bridges the gap between the organic and the synthetic. This choice highlights the overarching question of the record: whether our modern, tech-driven lives can still sustain the weight of ancient human longing.
The release concludes with “Is This All There Is?,” featuring Matt Berninger. His signature baritone adds a layer of weary, suburban existentialism to the arrangement, providing a necessary counterpoint to Calvi’s virtuosic instrumental flourishes. The song acts as a final, resonant question that ties the thematic threads of the entire EP together. By the time the final notes fade, Anna Calvi has proven that her vision is expansive enough to encompass both the primal growl of the past and the sophisticated art-pop of the future. The EP is a vital document of a musician using her technical mastery and the voices of her peers to further illuminate her own singular, searching light.
Releases March 20, 2026
To discover more or to pre-order, please visit: Domino Recording Co or Bandcamp.
