Annie, Please Don't Stop

It has been 2 and a half years in the making but Annie's sophomore album finally got a release a few weeks ago, and did not make a dent on the UK Charts. Needless to say that the excitement that filled my heart when I saw this plonk onto my doormat (co-incidentally on my birthday) has been building since I first heard about Don't Stop in Feburary 2008.

As I have waited such an immense time for it, and have been playing the leaked tracks on repeat for the better part of a year it is only fair that I give a rating to each and every track that has made it through the wilderness and onto general release:

1. Hey Annie - 8.0/10
   
   
2. My Love Is Better - 8.5/10 - Originally posted as a long-awaited collaberation between Annie and Girls Aloud, but due to some feud it was never meant to be.
   
   
3. Bad Times - 9.0/10 - This song has become a bit of a mantra of mine. Actually about an off-and-on relationship that Annie is hoping will work out somehow this song to me has become one I play when I feel overwhelmed The optimism and light beats that meander their way through this song cannot help but lift the spirits. Also I have a video of it in my mind of Annie in Hyde Park and everyone is dancing with parasols.
   
   
4. Don't Stop - 8.0/10
   
   
5. I Don't Like Your Band - 9.5/10 - This is the Chewing Gum for 2009. The ultimate kiss-off track to the boyfriend who fancies himself as the next Matt Bellamy. Just look at the lyrics:
   
   
   I don't like your band, your style, your sound
   No I don't like your band, it's tired not now
   I don't like your music, I'm just not into it
   It's not you, it's not you, it's not you
   I don't like your band
   
   

   Fantastic, this is the track that Girls Aloud were desperately trying to write when they came up with Hoxton Heroes. At least someone released it.
   

   
   
6. Songs Remind Me Of You - 10/10 - The highlight of the album. Words can not express how amazing this track is. I recently had a conversation about this with someone and in an attempt to discribe it I could only muster this 'it's like an electronic device orgasming underwater'. Makes no sense right?
   
   
7. Marie Cherie - 7.5/10
   
   
8. Take You Home - 8.5/10 - After Heartbeat, what could be one of the best songs of the decade, Annie left us wondering about how the story ended. A song full of longing and electricity has now been followed by the 'what happened that night' song. By the sounds of it Annie dragged this guy home with her (and then made him breakfast if the next track is anything to go by).
   
   
9. The Breakfast Song - 8.5/10 - Completely crazy and lyrically lazy (ew I rhymed) but somehow this morning marching-cry ticks all the right boxes. It's good fun to march down the streets to and the music video really writes itself, pity it won't be getting one.
   
   
10. Loco - 8.5/10 - Hear that guitar? That's the lead-singer of Franz Ferdinand no less. When you look at all the people on the staff list of this album it just boggles the mind. This is another nifty pop-track which has what has now become the standard Annie-sound. Not a bad thing there, actually it's pretty great.
    
    
11. When The Night - 7.5/10
    
    
12. Heaven And Hell - 7.0/10 - Yes, this is without a doubt the weakest track on the album, but when it comes to the tracklisting this actually makes more sense as a closer as it did on last year's leaked track listing
    

So yes, as you can see this is one pretty immense album. Something that is not mentioned here are the extremely high calibre of the songs that did not make it to the final cut of the album. This isn't entirely uncommon, an example being Sophie Ellis Bextor's Colour Me In, but in the case of this album Annie had the common sense to include these outtakes on a bonus CD. So if you do go out to buy the album make sure it comes with the bonus. Only then will you own the following outtake highlights (This doesn't even mention her cover of Two Of Hearts that I had on repeat this summer and didn't even make it to the bonus disc):

1. I Can't Let Go (9.5/10) - A duet with Annie and Fredrick of Datarock-fame. Tells of an obsessive relationship to a grinding electro-beat. This song just oozes sex and it still boggles my mind as to why it wasn't included
2. Anthonio (9.0/10) - This was actually released as a single in May but somehow did not make the cut. Here Annie takes a different take on pop, which I am reliably informed is Italo Disco. This whistful tune tells of a summer romance between Annie and Anthonio on a trip to Rio, and it has one hell of a kicker of a final line
3. I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me (9.5/10) - How the lead single can not be on the main album doesn't make much sense to me, then ago we are talking about a release date in April 2008 so I guess it makes some form of sense, still it is a pity not to see it on the main album.

The final cut of this album shows how much of an artist that Annie is. By substituting some tracks for others she has been able to make this oft-leaked album still sound new and refreshing to the die-hard fans who have been sending hatemail to Island Records. It is true I was one of those who has owned a leaked copy since last August, so the moment this album got an actual release date, and it snazzy new cover, I had to have it.

This isn't just pop. This isn't just smart pop . This is the definitive pop album of the decade and it is one that no one will probably ever hear. Which goes to show that there is not true justice when it comes to great music.

p.s. I apologise that I didn't write a summary for all tracks but I have to leave for a seminar in 27 minutes so I had to try and do this in an hour.