Annahstasia - Tether (2025)

https://annahstasia.bandcamp.com/album/tether

I think this exquisite record deserves a thread. Essentially the midpoint of Tracy Chapman and ANOHNI, but other names like Moses Sumney, Cassandra Jenkins, Baby Rose, Sharon Van Etten, Laura Marling etc come to mind.

It received a BNM and a boost as a Bandcamp Essential Release when it came out a week or two ago which was nice to see.

Love it. Missed seeing her live last weekend.

Hope to catch her tomorrow night!

(Also it's about time we celebrate the drink sum wtr label because they are kinda on fire of late.)

Villains is an amazing track. Lovely video as well

my god what an album. Thank U ilm!!!

Not kidding about drink sum wtr, BTW!

https://drinksumwtr.bandcamp.com/

At the least everyone needs to check out yaya bey, aja monet, Halima and THEY., plus Say She She just signed for their new album.

this is a beautiful and transporting album. definitely one of the year's best.

i'm amazed i haven't heard of her before now. what a voice

speaking of drink sum wtr, i really dug the seafood sam album from last year. a really nice hangout rap record

Holy shit at this voice. Thanks ilm.

I can confirm: very much worth seeing live if you get the chance.

https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:kqdyhnklmmv34nmml6btyqv6/bafkreigjqua7audt72kxwz77nt676pu4lyhq7xd3hw22k4hed5cskmvbau@jpeg

Had some quick further thoughts (including monotony's description up top!):

https://www.patreon.com/posts/132485423

What a remarkably confident and consistent debut. She sings with such power and self-assurance.

There's been remarkably little discussion on her own thread. Maybe the end of the year is a good time to reflect.

This is the kind of album that makes me happy that others artists are listening. Of course her unique voice is inimitable, but there are the arrangements, the sense of leisure and ease from... I want to say something like "timescape" - the way these songs are allowed to stretch, the patience, the vibrating and expanding intensity, the unity. It's all textures and you could try your hand at describing that. The sophisticated touches make me think of The Blue Nile in a stripped down folk soul version. It's feminine in a mature and powerful way. Believer is a glorious killer. The first five songs is one of the best stretch by anyone in recent memory, which allows her to give us a few variations in the second part. The album is actually shorter than it feels and that speaks on how comfortable your listener is.

I just listened to this last night, what an amazing record. The guitar on Be Kind reminds me a lot of Gastr Del Sol or something

Gorgeous album

ya this destroyed me again this morning. special album

I saw her in concert in Leeds the other week with Cleo Reed supporting what a great double bill.

Shades of Odetta in her voice.

beautiful show last night. As I was sitting there I started to think about what the "best" voice that I'd ever heard live was - she was certainly up there.

she’s releasing a live album next week

She is? Great!

yes and she mentioned last night that there will be a track on the physical edition, "garden", which is yet to be released in studio form

cosigning monotony's praise. It was incredibly startling how effortlessly her voice commanded the room.

Also, I should be used to it by now, but I'm always also slightly startled by a voice so solemn and sonorous being matched to a persona that (when not singing) seems quite bubbly and self-effacing

What I said on a couple of ballots, also my Country & Adjacent round-up for 2025:

Annahstasia's Tether is sparkly and broody, sometimes crunchy like snow, rec to fans of early Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, Brandi Carlilie, current Cam (necessary details of topography in the atmosphere).