Annuals Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
The majestic mountain range and the happy trees that surround it on the cover of the Annuals' second album, Such Fun, are the work of the late Bob Ross, the big-haired landscape painter whose art instruction series was a PBS staple for decades. The choice is fitting, because just as Ross could summon an evocative image of the great outdoors with a few well-placed brush strokes, the six members of the Annuals have created a widescreen indie pop spectacle that sounds big as all outdoors despite the rather conventional size and scope of the band. Annuals leader Adam Baker wrote, arranged, and co-produced Such Fun along with handling guitars, keyboards, percussion, and lead vocals, and you sure can't say the guy lacks vision -- from the laid-back semi-ska of "Hardwood Floor," the shred-tastic guitar heroics of "Hot Night Hounds," and the crunchy '70s-style rock of "Talking" to the psychedelic drift of "Hair Don't Grow," the country-accented melody of "Always Do," and the massed choral splendor of "Springtime," Baker never passes up an opportunity to pull something new out of his bag of tricks, and his bandmates invariably rise to the challenge, especially Kenny Florence on guitar and pedal steel and drummer Nick Radford. For all the talent Baker and the Annuals show on Such Fun, the album's relentless eclecticism begins to work against it after a certain point -- the musical shape-shifting keeps it from developing a coherent musical personality that would hold the pieces together, and the arrangements often sound overcooked when a more concise approach would better serve Baker's genuine knack for a tune. Next time out, maybe the Annuals should think simple watercolors rather than a massive fresco -- Such Fun might fill that space over the fireplace, but it doesn't really pull the room together. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Just when you think indie rock has more than its share of quick-witted, sweet, and ambitious individuals who exclaim their undying earnestness in song, along comes Annuals, a collective from North Carolina that will surely win your heart with their bright folk-pop stylings. Singer/songwriter Adam Baker is the resident wunderkind behind it all, sacrificing convention for unabashed pop loveliness on the band's debut album, Be He Me. Not as rigid as the Arcade Fire and a bit more playful than Sufjan Stevens, Annuals create a fairytale-like place that's as rich in imagery as it is in sound (think Broken Social Scene), and songs such as the vibrant jeers of "Brother" and the silver-tongued choruses of "Complete, or Completing" make Annuals one of the most exciting arrivals of 2006. Baker and company just make it seem so easy and so much fun that one cannot help but fall for the hysterical guitar-driven moments of "Bleary-Eyed" and "Carry Around." Annuals will make you dance without a care in the world, and that is a great feeling. Yet a surly sense of humor also creeps underneath these mini-pop epics, too, particularly on the dawdling "Chase You Off." It's nice to see that Baker, at his youthful 20 years of age, doesn't strive to be anything but the clever, impressionable young man he is. The bright-eyed display of Be He Me couldn't have been done any better, and that in itself is a welcome refresher when it comes to listening to indie rock today. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
