Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi

I've not heard this lady before so while I'm letting her sink in a little bit I've been trying to think of words that rhyme with 'Calvi', except I can't think of any. Not proper rhymes like. I guess it was fun thinking about it though. From reading the press release I was fully expecting this to be very PJ Harvey-ish (Patti Smith is mentioned, Nick Cave's a fan, Rob Ellis is producing etc. etc.) and it is in some ways, not least in the intensely, sensually emotive quality of her voice, but she's got plenty of her own thing going too. I think that 'own thing' is contributed largely by her guitar playing (she's certainly not shy of cracking out a solo or two that'd make less confident spirits blush) but also the almost operatic way that she seems to throw herself into her material vocally.. Actually I guess that trait quite reminds me of the delivery of Zola Jesus on her more recent releases now that I think about it. Anyway it's decent stuff and I don't think there's much doubt that she's got something over the vast majority of singer-songwriter types doing the rounds just now..