Annabel – Each and Everyone

Kent, Ohio’s ambient indie rockers Annabel are a pleasure to listen to.  Relaxing, calming, and soothing – perfect for those subdued cloudy days; the ones were you just sit at your front window contemplating life.

There’s nothing hard hitting about their lengthy full length debut, Each and Everyone.  Annabel takes and balances aspects of indie and ambient post-punk for a sound that can only be described as peaceful.  It’s not necessarily original, but the way they incorporate aspects of bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, and Look Mexico feels undeniably charming.

Tracks like “Castles in the Air” and “Adventures…” funnel Look Mexico’s creative tangents and adeptness with finding unique sounds, but wrap Death Cab’s sense of direction and purpose around each composition.  Furthermore, Arcade Fire’s influence becomes evident in songs like “As It Happened,” which feature choir-like group choruses with strong, wavy inflections.

Vocalist Ben Hendricks’ soft, reserved tone naturally compliments the ensemble, slowly guiding, but not overpowering each track.  It’s always impressive when vocalists take passive roles in bands.  The result provides the listener with the opportunity to appreciate the album wholistically.  During the many lengthy instrumental sections Hendrick’s voice isn’t missed, which is a statement to the band’s overall vision.  His voice isn’t perfect though, and although his natural roughness helps the experience feel organic, a more graceful delivery would likely elevate Annabel’s sounds into the clouds.  As it is, Hendrick keeps the band a little closer to earth than they might be aiming for.

Lyrically, the band doesn’t write anything too specific.  Most songs are generally broad in scope, touching on various facets of the human experience.  “You Started Thinking Again, Didn’t You?” looks at persistence in the face of our insignificance, and “In Droves” explores grounding one’s expectations despite intense desire.  The album seems to philosophize about confronting personal dilemmas with realistic solutions – a theme naturally fitting the fluffy, thoughtful instrumentation.

Admittedly, Each and Everyone took me more than a few close listens to win me over.  At first I felt the tracks blended together, and that there was a Hazy film covering everything.  But later I realized the level of depth and complexity I was missing and it all clicked.  And while Annabel’s debut might not be the most original release of the year, Each and Everyone is a feathery, relaxing listen sure to please introverted indie enthusiasts and day-dreamers alike.