The blogosphere has been known to pluck bands out of obscurity and hastily annoint them as “the next big thing”. Some live up to the hype (Vampire Weekend, anyone?), and others are crushed by it. Former blog darlings Annuals, are doing their best to be the exception and stay afloat in a constantly mutating industry that claims more casualties than Jack Bauer himself.
After the success of their debut LP Be He Me, and opening slots with megastars Bloc Party and The Flaming Lips, Annuals found themselves at a crossroads. The sextet of indie rockers from Raleigh, North Carolina were no longer just a group of kids playing music simply for the love of it. Suddenly they had the weight of a major record label behind them, and the eyes of an entire industry focused squarely in their direction, waiting to see if they would live up to that infamous “next big thing” billing.
So far so good.
With the release of their brand new record Such Fun, Annuals are once again on the lips of tastemakers across the land, all the while staying true to what got them here in the first place–an unabashed love of music.
Although the brunt of the songwriting falls squarely on the shoulders of prodigious frontmant Adam Baker, the lifelong friends are still very democratic when it comes to recording, with each member of the band able to contribute input on any given song. The band’s musical prowess was evident from the moment we walked into the artist’s lounge at Columbia Records, and lead guitarist Kenny Florence was fooling around on the piano, producing a more than capable ballad seemingly at will. Known for their live shows, the members of Annuals have a tendency to switch instruments mid-set, sparking comparisons to fellow multi-taskers Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene.
The similarities don’t end there. Like BSS and Arcade Fire, Annuals music soars to new heights, with melody and complex instrumentation taking precedence over radio-ready pop hooks, although Such Fun isn’t lacking in those, either. The self-proclaimed “hippies” cannot hide their excitement for the music-making process, and its this unbridled enthusiasm that helps set them apart from the gamut of rockstars that are soaking the airwaves and running amuck in the blogosphere. Baker and crew are pure songwriters, so when something works, they just know it. “It’s goosebumps.” Baker says assuredly. “I think everyone has that giddy feeling when something just works.”
(photos by Tim Chan)
